title: [Prevalence of trachoma in Brazilian schoolchildren].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence and describe the distribution of trachoma among schoolchildren in Brazilian municipalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study, using cluster sampling, of the schoolchildren population of the Brazilian municipalities with Human Development Index - Municipal lower than the national average. This trachoma prevalence survey was conducted by the Ministry of Health, in the period 2002-2007. There were 119,531 schoolchildren selected from 2,270 schools located in 1,156 municipalities. The selected schoolchildren underwent an external ocular examination, with a magnifying glass (2.5X), to detect clinical signs of trachoma according to the WHO criteria. The prevalence of trachoma, by state and national level, and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Chi-square and Chi-square for trends tests were used to compare categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 6,030 cases of trachoma detected, resulting in a prevalence of 5.0% (95%CI 4.5;5.4). There was no significant difference between the sexes. The prevalence of trachoma was 8.2% among children under 5 years of age, decreasing among higher age groups (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in prevalence between urban and rural areas, 4.3% versus 6.2% respectively (p < 0.01). Cases were detected in 901 municipalities (77.7% of the sample), in all regions of the country. In 36.8% of the selected municipalities, the prevalence was higher than 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that trachoma is a significant public health problem in Brazil, contradicting the belief that the disease had been controlled in the country. The survey provides a baseline for evaluating planned interventions aimed at achieving the goal of global certification of elimination of trachoma as a cause of blindness in Brazil by 2020.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima Costa
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Expedito José de Albuquerque
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Norma Helen
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Maria Regina Alves
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Helen Selma de Abreu
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Inês Kazue
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Neusa Aparecida Ferreira Alves
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.forename: José Alfredo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Guimarães
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014141:Trachoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data