Abstract

Objective: . Enterobius vermicularis is a parasite that is common in crowded areas such as schools and kindergartens. According to the primary investigations of electronic evidence, various studies have been conducted reporting different prevalences of . E. vermicularis in Iran. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the total prevalence of this infection among Iranian children using meta-analysis. Methods: Searching national and international databases, relevant studies were identified. We selected eligible papers for meta-analysis after investigating titles, abstracts, full texts, and quality assessment of the articles and also applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data extraction was carried out by two independent researchers. Combining the results was performed based on random effects model using Stata V. 11 software. Results: Among 19 eligible articles including 11,676 participants, prevalence of . E. vermicularis among all children, boys, and girls ranged 1.2-66.1, 2.3-65.5, and 1.7-65.5, respectively. Pooled prevalences (95 confidence interval) of . E. vermicularis among all children, boys, and girls were estimated as 17.2 (12.6-21.8), 17.2 (12.6- 21.8), and 16.9 (9.03-24.8), respectively. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that a great majority of Iranian children are infected with . E. vermicularis, which can be due to poor public health. © 2016.