Distance to water source and altitude in relation to active trachoma in Rombo district, Tanzania.
Trop Med Int Health
; 11(2): 220-7, 2006 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16451347
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the relationship between distance to water source, altitude and active trachoma in children in Rombo district, Tanzania.METHODS:
In each of Rombo's 64 villages, 10 balozis (groups of 8-40 households) were selected at random and all resident children aged 1-9 years were examined for clinical signs of active trachoma. The households of these children and village water sources were mapped using differentially corrected global positioning system data to determine each household's altitude and distance to the nearest water supply.RESULTS:
We examined 12 415 children and diagnosed 1171 cases of active trachoma (weighted prevalence=9.1%, 95% CI 8.0, 10.2%). Active trachoma prevalence ranged from 0% to 33.7% across villages. Increasing distance to the nearest water source was significantly associated with rising trachoma prevalence (age-adjusted odds ratio for infection (OR) for highest quartile compared to lowest=3.56, 95% CI 2.47, 5.14, P for trend <0.0001). Altitude was significantly inversely associated with trachoma prevalence (age-adjusted OR for highest quartile compared to lowest=0.55, 95% CI 0.41, 0.75, P for trend <0.0001). These associations remained significant after adjustment in multivariate analysis.CONCLUSIONS:
Trachoma is endemic in Rombo district, although the prevalence varies considerably between villages. Spatial mapping is a useful method for analysing risk factors for active trachoma.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Abastecimento de Água
/
Tracoma
/
Doenças Endêmicas
/
Altitude
Tipo de estudo:
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Trop Med Int Health
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
SAUDE PUBLICA
Ano de publicação:
2006
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido