02396nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001653001800042653002100060653001300081653001300094653002100107653001600128653000900144653001100153653001800164653001100182653002000193653001400213653002100227653002600248653000900274653001000283653003100293100001400324700001400338700001700352700001300369245007000382856006600452300001200518490000800530520147000538022001402008       2001                            d10aVisual Acuity10aVision Disorders10aTrachoma10aTanzania10aRural Population10aMiddle Aged10aMale10aHumans10aHair Diseases10aFemale10aEyelid Diseases10aEyelashes10aEndemic Diseases10aDisability Evaluation10aAged10aAdult10aActivities of Daily Living1 aFrick K D1 aMelia B M1 aBuhrmann R R1 aWest S K00aTrichiasis and disability in a trachoma-endemic area of Tanzania.  uhttp://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=269048  a1839-440 v1193 a<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To measure limitations in the daily activities of village life associated with having trichiasis for individuals with and without visual acuity loss.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Men and women 40 years and older in 6 randomly chosen rural villages in the Kongwa district of Tanzania had visual acuity measured and were examined by an ophthalmologist. Subjects indicated the degree of difficulty with daily activities of village life and whether the difficulty was related, in any way, to vision. Limitations were scored using an indicator of "any difficulty" and using a 4-point scale ranging from "no difficulty" to "unable to do." Scores of individuals with and without trichiasis were compared separately for men and women.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Among men, trichiasis was associated with excess functional limitation only for those with visual acuity loss (adjusted difference in proportion of tasks [AD] compared with men with neither trichiasis nor visual impairment, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.47). For women, trichiasis alone was limiting (AD, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.08-0.22) similarly to visual acuity loss alone (AD, 0.09; 95% CI 0.06-0.13), and the combination led to greater limitations (AD, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.26-0.39).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>The burden of trichiasis is likely greater than previously estimated, especially in women for whom trichiasis alone was disabling.</p>
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