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<p>Conjunctivitis is a leading cause of ocular morbidity worldwide, with disproportionately high burden in sub-Saharan Africa. In Northern Uganda, epidemiological data on conjunctivitis remain scarce despite clinical reports of increasing caseloads. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with conjunctivitis among patients attending the Eye Clinic at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital (GRRH) in Northern Uganda. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at GRRH from August to September 2024. We conveniently enrolled a total of 423 participants and collected data on sociodemographic and health facility-related factors. Clinical diagnosis of conjunctivitis was made by ophthalmic clinical officers and verified by an ophthalmologist. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (cPR, aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of 423 participants, 298 (70.4%) had conjunctivitis. Age ≥ 40&#xa0;years compared to children aged 0–11&#xa0;years (aPR = 0.733; 95% CI 0.569–0.945; <i>p</i> = 0.017), a recent history of eye injury or surgery (aPR = 0.626; 95% CI 0.449–0.874; <i>p</i> = 0.006) and the presence of a chronic illness (aPR = 0.721; 95% CI 0.582–0.891; <i>p</i> = 0.002) were associated with a lower prevalence of conjunctivitis. A recent exposure to a known conjunctivitis case was associated with a 13% higher prevalence of current conjunctivitis (aPR = 1.133; 95% CI 1.010–1.271; <i>p</i> = 0.033). Conjunctivitis was diagnosed in approximately seven in ten patients presenting to the eye clinic at GRRH, a clinic-attendee proportion that should not be extrapolated to community-level prevalence. Person-to-person contact was the only factor independently associated with higher prevalence, whereas regular healthcare engagement associated with post-surgical care and chronic disease management showed an inverse association that warrants cautious interpretation given the potential for surveillance bias. Targeted public health education, early case isolation, and integration of eye health promotion into chronic disease programs are recommended.</p>

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Prevalence and factors associated with conjunctivitis among patients attending an eye clinic at a regional referral hospital in Northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月1日

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  • Innocent Ainembabazi,
  • James Nelson Okema,
  • Jaber Semakadde,
  • Charles Openy Mote,
  • Martin Paul Ssekamate,
  • Ivaan Pitua,
  • Felix Bongomin,
  • Amos Nyathirombo

摘要

Conjunctivitis is a leading cause of ocular morbidity worldwide, with disproportionately high burden in sub-Saharan Africa. In Northern Uganda, epidemiological data on conjunctivitis remain scarce despite clinical reports of increasing caseloads. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with conjunctivitis among patients attending the Eye Clinic at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital (GRRH) in Northern Uganda. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at GRRH from August to September 2024. We conveniently enrolled a total of 423 participants and collected data on sociodemographic and health facility-related factors. Clinical diagnosis of conjunctivitis was made by ophthalmic clinical officers and verified by an ophthalmologist. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (cPR, aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of 423 participants, 298 (70.4%) had conjunctivitis. Age ≥ 40 years compared to children aged 0–11 years (aPR = 0.733; 95% CI 0.569–0.945; p = 0.017), a recent history of eye injury or surgery (aPR = 0.626; 95% CI 0.449–0.874; p = 0.006) and the presence of a chronic illness (aPR = 0.721; 95% CI 0.582–0.891; p = 0.002) were associated with a lower prevalence of conjunctivitis. A recent exposure to a known conjunctivitis case was associated with a 13% higher prevalence of current conjunctivitis (aPR = 1.133; 95% CI 1.010–1.271; p = 0.033). Conjunctivitis was diagnosed in approximately seven in ten patients presenting to the eye clinic at GRRH, a clinic-attendee proportion that should not be extrapolated to community-level prevalence. Person-to-person contact was the only factor independently associated with higher prevalence, whereas regular healthcare engagement associated with post-surgical care and chronic disease management showed an inverse association that warrants cautious interpretation given the potential for surveillance bias. Targeted public health education, early case isolation, and integration of eye health promotion into chronic disease programs are recommended.