Clinically active trachoma and its associated factors among one to nine year old children in Tarmaber district, Amhara region, Ethiopia: community based crossectional study design

Abstract

Background:Trachoma is the most common cause of blindness worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Despite Ethiopia's goal of eliminating trachoma by 2020, the disease is worsening, especially in the Amhara Region. Although consistent intervention strategies are being implemented throughout the region, it is unclear why trachoma remains a substantial public health problem. As a result, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of trachoma among one- tonine-year-old children in the Tarmaber district, Amhara region, Ethiopia, in 2022. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1 to August 30, 2022. A three-stage stratified sampling technique was utilized to select 736 one- to nine-year-old children. A structured questionnaire for an interview, a checklist for observation, and a clinical eye examination for both eyes by using a 2.5× binocular magnifying loupe with a penlight torch were used. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses with crosponding odd ratio and 95% CI were carried out to assess the associations between the dependent and independent variables. Results: In the present study, the overall prevalence of clinically active trachoma was 15.8% (95% CI: 13.2%, 18.3%). A child from a mother or caregiver who could not read and write (AOR = 7.41, 95% CI: 4.09, 13.44), a child from more than five family members (AOR = 7.51, 95% CI: 4.13, 13.64), a child from a family who did not have a latrine in a compound (AOR = 3.79, 95% CI: 2.01–7.13), a child from a family that openly disposes of their solid and liquid waste (AOR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.61–6.67), and a family member's child who owns animals but has no corral (AOR = 5.66, 95% CI: 3.11–10.30) were significantly associated with clinically active trachoma. Conclusion- The prevalence of clinically active trachoma in this study was high. Thus, public health interventions targeting one- to nine-year-old children with the aforementioned factors are needed to decrease the prevalence of trachoma in this population.