TY - JOUR
T1 - A cross-sectional survey of water and clean faces in trachoma endemic communities in Tanzania
AU - Rog, Morgan
AU - Swenor, Bonnielin
AU - Cajas-Monson, Luis C.
AU - McHiwe, Wilson
AU - Kiboko, Steven
AU - Mkocha, Harran
AU - West, Sheila
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a travel grant from the Center for Global Health at Johns Hopkins University, grant EY01765 from the National Eye Institute, and Dr West received a senior scientific investigator award from Research to Prevent Blindness
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Abstract. Background: Face washing is important to interrupt the transmission of trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. We aimed to assess the household and personal factors that affected water use and face washing practices in Kongwa, Tanzania. Methods. We conducted a household water use survey in 173 households (329 children) in January, 2010. Self reported data on water use practices, observed water in the household, and observed clean faces in children were collected. Contingency table analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to measure associations between unclean faces and risk factors. Results: We found that women are recognized as primary decision makers on water use in a household, and respondents who reported laziness as a reason that others do not wash children's faces were significantly more likely to have children with clean faces. Washing was reported as a priority for water use in most households. Sixty four percent (95% Confidence Interval = 59%-70%) of children had clean faces. Conclusions: Attitudes toward face washing and household water use appear to have changed dramatically from 20 years ago when clean faces were rare and men made decisions on water use in households. The sources of these attitudinal changes are not clear, but are positive changes that will assist the trachoma control program in strengthening its hygiene efforts.
AB - Abstract. Background: Face washing is important to interrupt the transmission of trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. We aimed to assess the household and personal factors that affected water use and face washing practices in Kongwa, Tanzania. Methods. We conducted a household water use survey in 173 households (329 children) in January, 2010. Self reported data on water use practices, observed water in the household, and observed clean faces in children were collected. Contingency table analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to measure associations between unclean faces and risk factors. Results: We found that women are recognized as primary decision makers on water use in a household, and respondents who reported laziness as a reason that others do not wash children's faces were significantly more likely to have children with clean faces. Washing was reported as a priority for water use in most households. Sixty four percent (95% Confidence Interval = 59%-70%) of children had clean faces. Conclusions: Attitudes toward face washing and household water use appear to have changed dramatically from 20 years ago when clean faces were rare and men made decisions on water use in households. The sources of these attitudinal changes are not clear, but are positive changes that will assist the trachoma control program in strengthening its hygiene efforts.
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U2 - 10.1186/1471-2458-11-495
DO - 10.1186/1471-2458-11-495
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21702954
AN - SCOPUS:79959429701
SN - 1471-2458
VL - 11
JO - BMC public health
JF - BMC public health
M1 - 495
ER -