Table 1 Frequencies of risk factors and Toxocara spp. seropositivity in children at 2, 3 and 5 years of age showing age-adjusted and multivariable associations of risk factors with overall anti-Toxocara spp. immunoglobulin G seropositivity over the observation period

Age

Age

1.77 (1.39–2.27)

< 0.001

2.06 (1.66–2.56)

< 0.001

Maternal seropositivity

No

51 (19.5%)

45.1%

53 (19.8%)

54.7%

46 (18.6%)

71.7%

1

1

Yes

210 (80.5%)

50.0%

215 (80.2%)

68.4%

201 (81.4%)

83.1%

1.69 (1.18–2.42)

0.004

1.46 (0.97–2.13)

0.064

Sex

Male

121 (46.4%)

50.4%

127 (47.4%)

72.4%

117 (47.4%)

86.3%

1

1

Female

140 (53.6%)

47.9%

141 (52.6%)

59.6%

130 (52.6%)

76.2%

0.65 (0.49–0.87)

0.004

0.66 (0.48–0.89)

0.006

Maternal age (years)

≤ 20

67 (25.7%)

50.8%

72 (26.9%)

72.2%

69 (27.9%)

85.5%

1

21–29

129 (49.4%)

49.6%

132 (49.3%)

65.9%

121 (49.0%)

79.3%

0.89 (0.63–1.26)

0.505

≥ 30

65 (24.9%)

46.2%

64 (23.9%)

57.8%

57 (23.1%)

79.0%

0.69 (0.46–1.04)

0.073

Maternal ethnicity

Afro-Ecuadorian

81 (31.0%)

55.6%

84 (31.3%)

69.1%

78 (31.6%)

82.1%

1

1

Non-Afro Ecuadorian

180 (69.0%)

46.1%

194 (68.7%)

64.1%

169 (68.4%)

80.5%

0.73 (0.53–0.99)

0.047

0.65 (0.47–0.91)

0.011

Maternal educational level

Illiterate

43 (16.5%)

55.8%

49 (18.3%)

75.5%

44 (17.8%)

86.4%

1

1

Completed primary

167 (64.0%)

50.3%

167 (35.1%)

63.5%

156 (63.2%)

82.7%

0.61 (0.40–0.90)

0.014

0.61 (0.40–0.93)

0.021

Completed secondary

51 (19.5%)

39.2%

52 (19.4%)

63.5%

47 (19.0%)

70.2%

0.44 (0.27–0.71)

0.001

0.57 (0.34–0.96)

0.034

Socioeconomic status^a

Low

90 (34.5%)

56.7%

93 (34.7%)

69.9%

86 (34.8%)

88.4%

1

1

Medium

91 (35.3%)

50.0%

94 (35.1%)

62.8%

84 (34.0%)

78.6%

0.61 (0.43–0.86)

0.005

0.62 (0.43–0.89)

0.010

High

79 (30.3%)

39.2%

81 (30.2%)

64.2%

77 (31.2%)

75.3%

0.50 (0.35–0.72)

< 0.001

0.60 (0.40–0.89)

0.009

Household dogs

No

187 (71.7%)

48.7%

186 (70.2%)

62.9%

117(48.6%)

77.8%

1

Yes

74 (28.4%)

50.0%

79 (29.8%)

70.9%

124(51.5%)

83.9%

1.27 (0.92–1.75)

0.140

Household cats

No

203 (77.8%)

47.3%

193 (72.8%)

61.7%

120(49.8%)

79.2%

1

1

Yes

58 (22.2%)

55.2%

72 (22.2%)

75.0%

121(50.2%)

82.6%

1.39 (1.00–1.93)

0.051

1.40 (0.99–1.97)

0.055

Household dogs and/or cats

No

157 (60.2%)

47.1%

143 (54.0%)

59.4%

78 (32.4%)

78.2%

1

Yes

104 (39.8%)

51.9%

122 (46.0%)

72.1%

163 (67.6%)

82.2%

1.32 (0.99–1.77)

0.063

Maternal STH

No

139 (53.7%)

44.6%

136 (51.1%)

61.8%

126 (51.4%)

74.6%

1

Yes

120 (46.3%)

54.2%

130 (48.9%)

69.2%

119 (48.6%)

87.4%

1.58 (1.19–2.12)

0.002

Childhood STH

No

234 (90.7%)

44.9%

212 (80.6%)

61.8%

165 (68.2%)

75.2%

1

1

Yes

24 (9.3%)

83.3%

51 (19.4%)

78.4%

77 (31.8%)

92.2%

2.55 (1.71, 3.83)

< 0.001

2.29 (1.51–3.47)

< 0.001

Area of residence

Urban

180 (68.9%)

48.3%

183 (68.3%)

66.1%

170 (68.8%)

82.4%

1

Rural

81 (31.1%)

50.6%

85 (31.7%)

64.7%

77 (31.2%)

77.9%

0.96 (0.70–1.30)

0.777

Household overcrowding^b

No

149 (57.1%)

45.6%

153 (57.1%)

63.4%

140 (56.7%)

45.6%

1

Yes

81 (42.9%)

53.6%

115 (42.9%)

68.7%

107 (43.3%)

53.6%

1.41 (1.05–1.89)

0.021

Bathroom type

Latrine

170 (65.1%)

51.8%

176 (65.7%)

68.8%

159 (64.4%)

83.0%

1

Water Closet

91 (34.9%)

44.0%

92 (34.3%)

59.8%

88 (35.6%)

77.3%

0.72 (0.53–0.97)

0.029