Prevalence of trachoma in the adult Chinese population. The Beijing Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of trachoma in the adult Chinese population.


METHODS
The Beijing Eye Study as a population-based, cross-sectional cohort study included 4439 subjects out of 5324 subjects invited to participate with an age of 40+ years. Trachomatous abnormalities were assessed by slit lamp examination. Examination data were available for 4411 (99.4%) subjects.


RESULTS
Trachomatous abnormalities were present in 850 eyes (mean+/-SE: 9.64+/-3.14%) or 422 subjects (9.57+/-0.44%), differentiated into follicular trachomatous inflammation (stage 1) (0.92+/-0.11%), intensive trachomatous inflammation (stage 2) (1.01+/-0.11%), trachomatous scarring (stage 3) (7.61+/-0.29%), and trachomatous trichiasis (stage 4) (0.47+/-0.08%). Trachomatous scarring was significantly associated with higher age (P<0.001), low level of education (P<0.001), rural versusurban region (P=0.04), and low visual acuity (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Active trachoma is present in about 2 out of 100 Chinese adults, and trachomatous scarring is present in about in about 8 out of 100 Chinese adults in Northern China with age, socioeconomic background, and rural region as main risk factors.
Jie
Y
Y
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, China.
Xu
L
L
Ma
K
K
Zhang
S
S
Zhu
J
J
Jonas
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014141:Trachoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control