Prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, northern Ethiopia
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, northern Ethiopia Mesfin Wudu Kassaw1* , Ayele Mamo Abebe2, Kirubel Dagnaw Tegegne3, Mikiyas Amare Getu1 and Woldemichael Tadesse Bihonegn4
Abstract Background: Trachoma is a neglected eye disease and an important cause of preventable corneal blindness. In endemic areas, initial infection can occur in early childhood and following a recurrent episodes, it progresses to scarring and visual impairment. Trachoma disappeared from high income countries through enhancements of hygiene and sanitation but the disease is still a challenge in developing countries. In Ethiopia, data indicate that Amhara is the region with the highest prevalence of active trachoma. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods: In this study, 596 children were screened for signs of active trachoma by using cluster-sampling technique. Following pre-testing of the survey instrument in a different district, questions about socio-demographic status were delivered for heads of households. Integrated eye care workers, previously trained to undertake trachoma screening for one month, performed eye examination. The logistic regression model was used to look for associations of active trachoma. Results: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district was 22%. Low economic status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]3.8 (95%CI 1.3–11.4), being 37–48 months old (4.2;1.5–12.0), living in a house with thatched roof (4.4;1.4–13.6), presence of flies in a home (4.6;2.1–9.9), once-weekly face-washing frequency (8.6;2.5–29.3), having a face that had not been washed for longer than a week (10.6;2.9–37.7), and not using soap (4.5;1.8–11.3) had association to active trachoma. Conclusion: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural pre-school children in Wadla district was high. This indicates that Trachoma is still a public health problem in the district. This high prevalence calls for further interventions to prevent future trachomatis blindness. Keywords: Active trachoma, Associations, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Wadla district, Ethiopia
Background Trachoma is a neglected eye disease and an important cause of preventable corneal blindness [1, 2], which is categorized into active and cicatricial types of trachoma * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of nursing, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
[2, 3]. In endemic areas, cycles of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis progress to scarring, trachomatis trichiasis, and corneal opacity [4–6]. Trachoma is a disease of poverty and poor hygiene [7] that found primarily in children [4], with the late-stage disease more frequently seen in adult women than adult men, possibly because of women’s greater time spent in proximity to
© The Author(s). 2020 Open Acce
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