Characteristics of included studies [ordered by study ID]
Peach 1987
|
| Methods | 36 aboriginal communities were randomised in stages to four experimental groups after stratification by geographical location.
Method of randomisation: not stated.
Unit of randomisation: communities, but individuals where analysed.
Masking: outcome assessors masked but method of masking unclear.
Analysis was by intention to treat principle (participants lost to follow up were assumed to have follicles at the end of the study). |
|
| | Participants | Country: Northern Territory of Australia.
Participants: children aged five years and above drawn from 36 aboriginal communities.
Age range: most participants were between 5 and 14 years, although a small proportion of children were older than 14 and a small proportion were pre-school.
Total number of children randomised: 1143. |
|
| | Interventions | Treatment:
1) Tetracycline eye drops daily for one week every month for 3 months (374 children randomised).
2) Eye washing daily for 3 months (246 children randomised).
3) Tetracycline eye drops plus eye washing (312 children randomised).
Control:
No treatment (211 children) |
|
| | Outcomes | Follicular trachoma (proportion of children with follicular trachoma at 3 months). |
|
| | Notes | |
|
| | Risk of bias |
| | Item | Authors' judgement | Description |
| | Allocation concealment? | Unclear | B - Unclear |
|
|
West 1995
|
| Methods | Six villages were randomised in three pairs to intervention or control.
Method of randomisation: unclear.
Masking: outcome assessors masked. Assessors examined photographs of tarsal plates for follicles. |
|
| | Participants | Country: Kongwa, Tanzania.
Participants: Children aged 1 to 7 years drawn from 6 trachoma endemic villages.
Total number of children randomised: 1417. |
|
| | Interventions | Treatment:
Face washing promotion combined with mass tetracycline ointment (680 children).
Control:
Mass tetracycline ointment only (737 children). Tetracycline ointment was administered topically once daily for 30 days. |
|
| | Outcomes | 1) Active trachoma.
2) Severe trachoma.
3) Clean face. |
|
| | Notes | |
|
| | Risk of bias |
| | Item | Authors' judgement | Description |
| | Allocation concealment? | Unclear | B - Unclear |
|
|
Characteristics of excluded studies [ordered by study ID]
|
| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|
| | Edwards 2006 | Study intervention is health education promotion of face washing |
| | Khandekar 2006 | Unable to separate the effect of face washing from environmental sanitation interventions as both were indirectly examined as "one intervention" |
| | Rubinstein 2006 | Study intervention is health education promotion of face washing |
| | Sutter 1983 | Not a randomised controlled trial |
|
|
Table 1. Quality assessment
|
| Trial ID | Method randomisation | Allocation conceal. | Baseline compar. | Attrition | Intention to treat |
| | Peach 1987 | Unclear | Unclear | Adequate | Unclear | Unclear |
| | West 1995 | Adequate | ? Adequate | Unclear | Adequate | Adequate |
|
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