PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS FOR TRACHOMA AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SANA’A CITY, YEMEN

Abstract

Background: Trachoma is a contagious infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. The disease causes roughness of the inner surface of the eyelids which in turn leads to eye pain, collapse of the outer surface and scratching of the cornea, and ultimately blindness.
 Objectives: This study was designed to determine Trachoma prevalence and associated risk factors among primary school children in Sana’a city, Yemen.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 991 schoolchildren aged 6-12 years that were chosen from sixteen primary public schools and ten private ones, that are located in five districts in Sana’a city and represent nearly 10% of total number of schools in Sana’a. Child's eye examination was done by trained 12 students of Medicine, according to WHO grading system for trachoma. Data on risk factors and health characteristics of a child were collected using a structured questionnaire and statistical analysis was performed using Epi-Inf version 6.
 Results: The gender distribution of study contributors was male 41.7 % and female was 58.3%. The results of independent associated odds ratio analysis discovered that risk factors of contracting Trachoma from the upper to the lower are: Absent of latrine in the house of child (OR=10.6, p<0.001), orphan of mother (OR=4.7, p<0.001), absent of water in the house of child (OR=3.9, p<0.001), flies in the face (OR=1.9, p=0.005) , No education of the mother (OR=1.7, p=0.01), No education of the father (OR=1.6, p=0.04), No face washing with soap per day (OR=3.1, p=0.001), keeping animals in living house (OR=1.6, p=0.03), and house overcrowding (OR=2.5, p=0.002).
 Conclusion: Area was identifiedidentify where, at the time of the survey among 10-12 children, as defined by WHO trachoma was a public health problem. As for the loss of the child to his parents, especially the loss of the mother, it is a disaster for the child, so the treatment of causes such as war and poverty for this problem should be a priority in Yemen
 
 Peer Review History: 
 Received: 15 July 2021; Revised: 9 August; Accepted: 6 September; Available online: 15 September 2021
 Academic Editor: Dr. Sally A. El-Zahaby, Pharos University in Alexandria, Egypt, sally.elzahaby@yahoo.com
 UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. 
 Received file: Reviewer's Comments:
 Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10
 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.5/10
 Reviewers:
 Dr. Rawaa Souhil Al-Kayali, Aleppo University, Syria, rawah67@hotmail.com
 Dr. Bilge Ahsen KARA, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Hospital, Turkey, ahsndkyc@gmail.com
 Dr. Wadhah Hassan Ali Edrees, Hajja University, Yemen, edress2020@gmail.com
 Similar Articles:
 BACTERIAL CAUSES AND ANTIMICROBIAL SENSITIVITY PATTERN OF EXTERNAL OCULAR INFECTIONS IN SELECTED OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINICS IN SANA’A CITY 
 PREVALENCE OF MALOCCLUSION AMONG YEMENI CHILDREN OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS