Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jan 2, 2022
Date Accepted: Jun 13, 2022
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infection in Malaysia : A scoping review protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection is one of the 13 notable Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) according to the CDC and WHO. In 2010, it is estimated that 1.73 billion people are infected with STH globally of which 70% of cases occur in Asia. To date, there is a dearth of published literature on the prevalence of STH infection throughout Malaysia.
Objective:
The objectives of this study are to review research activity on STH infection in Malaysia, to estimate the prevalence of STH infection among Malaysian, and to identify significant risk factors associated with the infection.
Methods:
We will conduct a scoping review based on the 6-stages structured framework of Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodology. A comprehensive search strategy focusing on STH infection will be executed using electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE). A systematic approach to searching, screening, reviewing and data extraction will be applied based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). Mendeley software and Microsoft Excel programmes will be used to manage the references and to remove duplicates. Relevant data from selected articles will be extracted using a standardized data extraction form using the Google Form application. Results will be summarized descriptively in tabular form including types of interventions, study design, settings, tools used, and the outcomes of each study.
Results:
We would like to provide further evidence on the prevalence of STH in terms of parasite species that predominately cause the infection and the intensity of the infection. Finally, we will present the significant risk factors that contribute to STH infection and discuss prevention taken by considering the government or private sectors involvement towards curbing this issue.
Conclusions:
We hope that the findings of this scoping review will provide information for policymakers and strengthen policy guidelines to eradicate STH infection, and for researchers to further study and investigate any STH-related issue in Malaysia.
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