TRACHOMA 267 TABLE 7-17. DISTRIBUTION OF TRACHOMA BY ETHNIC GROUP (NBS 1981) Estimated Population with Trachoma Estimated Prevalence per 100 Percentage of All Trachoma in Nepal Ethnic Group Sample N 6,454 6,265 897 1,657 3,642 541 2,109 17,342 38,907 96,674 147,810 27,832 31,805 189,323 31,442 185,485 189,978 900,349 Brahmin Chhetri Gurung Kami Magar Thakure Tharu Other Subtotal Missing ethnic group or trachoma status 4.2 6.6 8.7 5.4 15.0 16.3 27.8 3.0 6.5 10.7% 16.4 3.1 3.6 21.0 3,5 20.6 21.1 100.0 980 9,485 Total 39,887 909,834 6.5 100.0 Source: FR7.006.2.1 AN.2 rate, but the Gurung have a rate of 8.7 per 100 and an estimated 27,832 cases of trachoma. The Kami group, twice as large as the Gurung, has a lower prevalence rate (5.4 per 100) but more trachoma (31,805 estimated cases) than the Gurung. These find- ings for trachoma prevalence rates are summarized in Figure 7.5. The relationship between trachoma and three other personal characteristics, is examined in Tables 7-18 (literacy), 7-19 (educa- tion), and 7-20 (occupation). Literacy, like religious group, has a skewed distribution in the population, with most persons reporting that they could not read or write. Most of the trachoma could therefore be expected to occur among the illiterate, and the trachoma prevalence rate for the illiterate should be similar to the national rate. Table 7-18 shows that more than four-fifths of the trachoma (83.5%) occurs in the illiterate with a prevalence rate of 6.8 per 100, virtually the same as the national rate. The literate population has a lower prevalence rate than the illiterate population (5.1 per 100), and this may be related to somewhat lower rates for the educated persons. Examination of prevalence rates as education increases may in- dicate whether education is associated with trachoma prevalence. As indicated in Table 7-19, the prevalence rate for those with no education is 6.8 per 100, similar to that for the illiterate group. In addition, the prevalence rate is lower for educated persons than for those with no education, and the prevalence rates decrease
