Prevalence and associated factors of active trachoma among children in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundTrachoma is the commonest infectious cause of blindness. It is prevalent in areas where personal and community hygiene is poor, and it mainly affects deprived and marginalized communities most importantly in Ethiopia. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of active trachoma among children in Ethiopia.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis was employed to determine the prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among children in Ethiopia. We searched databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. To estimate the prevalence, studies reporting the prevalence of active trachoma and its associated factors were included. Data were extracted using a standardized data extraction format prepared in Microsoft excel and the analysis was done using STATA 14 statistical software. To assess heterogeneity, the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test were used. Since the included studies revealed considerable heterogeneity, a random effect meta- analysis model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of active trachoma. Moreover, the association between factors and active trachoma were examined.ResultsThe result of 30 eligible studies showed that the overall prevalence of active trachoma among children in Ethiopia was 26.9% (95% CI: 22.7, 31.0%). In the subgroup analysis, while the highest prevalence was reported in SNNP (35.8%; 95% CI: 22.7, 48.8), the lowest prevalence was reported in Oromia region (20.2%; 95% CI: 12.2, 28.2). Absence of latrine: OR 6.0 (95% CI 2.0, 17.5), the unclean faces of children: OR 5.5 (95% CI 2.8, 10.9), and no reported use of soap for washing: OR 3.3 (95% CI 1.8, 6.0) have shown a positive association with active trachoma among children.ConclusionFrom this review, it has been concluded that active trachoma among children is still a public health problem in different districts of Ethiopia. The prevalence of almost all studies are significantly higher than WHO target for elimination. Absence of latrine, unclean faces of children, no reported use of soap for washing are the important factors associated with active trachoma among children.

Low prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among children aged 1–9 years in rural communities of Metema District, Northwest Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

“…This finding was similar with studies done in Zala district, Southern Ethiopia [22], Wereilu district, Ethiopia [27] and Uganda [8]. Moreover, this finding was consistent with the systematic review and meta-analysis done in Ethiopia [28]. This is due to the fact that children with unclean faces could be more likely to spread ocular secretions infected with C. trachomatis.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Stata, version 15.1 (StataCorp. ), was utilized to collect data and to perform relevant analyses in this meta-analysis (Gebrie et al, 2019;Adane et al, 2020). Each numerical value of the result was presented with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI).…”

The impact of access to water supply and sanitation on the prevalence of active trachoma in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Furthermore, the finding showed that children from households without latrine access developed higher odds of active trachoma in the Amhara region. Plausible explanations might be related to the high endemicity of the diseases in the region [ 37 ] and associated with many studies conducted in the area to alleviate the problems [ 38 , 39 ].…”

“…Ethiopia is one of the hardest-hit countries where trachoma is endemic [ 3 ]. According to recent research in Ethiopia, the average prevalence of active trachoma among children was 26.9% [ 39 ]. This prevalence was significantly higher than WHO target for eliminating trachoma [ 2 ].…”