Factors associated with trachoma treatment and control treatment in schools of municipality of the Northeast Region, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION

Trachoma maintains itself as a public health problem and an important cause of morbidity, visual impairment and preventable blindness in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze factors associated with treatment and control of trachoma treatment in schoolchildren diagnosed during the national campaign in 2014, in the town of Russas, Ceará.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was brought out from January to April 2016. Social, demographic, economic and follow-up data were collected for 390 schoolchildren aged five to 14 years old, diagnosed with trachoma in the campaign in 2014. They were defined dependent variables: trachoma treatment and control of trachoma disease, categorized as adequate and inadequate, and multivariate analyzes were performed.

RESULTS

Treatment was considered adequate in 56.7% of schoolchildren and in only 5.9% treatment control was classified as adequate. In the multivariate analysis, they have got an association with the trachoma treatment result: rural residence zone and waste destination in a non-public space. The last control of the treatment of trachoma remained associated to the variables: rural residence zone; family income less than a minimum wage and school not examined by the physician.

CONCLUSION

Inadequate treatment and control of trachoma treatment showed an association with socioeconomic variables and follow-up of primary care. Health education activities were not accessible to the entire community, indicating the need for more involvement by primary care professionals.