Prevalence and associated factors of active trachoma among childeren aged 1–9 years in rural communities of Gonji Kolella district, West Gojjam zone, North West Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Though trachoma can be treated with antibiotic it is still endemic in most part of Ethiopia. METHODS: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 618 children 1–9 years of age from December 2013 to June 2014. A multistage systematic sampling technique was applied. Data were collected using pretested and structured questionnaire and also observation by using binocular loupe to differentiate active trachoma cases. The World Health Organization’s simplified classification scheme for assessing trachoma in community based surveys was used for the purpose. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with trachoma among children aged 1–9 years. An adjusted odds ratio with 95 % confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of active trachoma among children aged 1–9 years were 23.1 % (Trachomatous inflammation—Follicular, in 22.5 % (95 % CI: 22.3–22.69 %); Trachomatous inflammation—Intense, in 0.6 % (95 % CI: 0.4–0.79 %). Family size (>5) (AOR = 14.32, 95 % CI = 6.108–33.601), number of children under 10 years of age within household (AOR = 25.53, 95 % CI = 9.774–66.686), latrine utilizations (AOR = 10.274, 95 % CI = 4.274–24.968), route of waste disposal (AOR = 3.717, 95 % CI = 1.538 to −8.981), household literacy (AOR = 2.892, 95 % CI = 1.447–5.780), cattle housing practice (AOR = 4.75, 95 % CI = 1.815–12.431), time to collect water (AOR = 25.530, 95 % CI = 8.995–72.461), frequency of face washing practice (AOR = 6.384, 95 % CI = 2.860–14.251) and source of water (AOR = 2.353, 95 % CI = 1.134–4.882) were found to be associated with the presence of active trachoma in this study population. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural communities of children aged 1–9 years was found to be high in reference to WHO recommended thresholds to initiate trachoma control recommendation (>10 % prevalence), which indicates that active trachoma is still a major public health concern in the study area. Therefore, it is recommended that coordinated work on implementing the WHO endorsed SAFE strategy in particular and enhancing the overall living conditions of the community is crucial.