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Abstract #17472 Published in IGR 9-2
Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in Sistan-va-Baluchestan Province, Iran: Zahedan Eye Study
Shahriari H-A; Izadi S; Rouhani M-R; Ghasemzadeh F; Maleki A-RBritish Journal of Ophthalmology 2007; 91: 579-584
AIM: To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in the Sistan-va-Baluchestan Province of Iran. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study with a multistage cluster sampling technique was used to identify the study subjects. Visual acuity (VA) was defined for all participants aged ≥10 years. Participants with a VA of < 20/60 were examined by an ophthalmologist to determine the causes of low vision or blindness. RESULTS: 5446 (84.0%) of the invited people were examined. The prevalence of visual impairment (VA < 20/60) was 6.81% (95% CI 5.91% to 7.71%) and of bilateral blindness (VA < 3/60) was 0.79% (95% CI 0.50% to 1.08%). Visual impairment increased with age and illiteracy. Bilateral blindness doubled in women aged > 40 years. The causes of visual impairment and blindness were cataract (37.7%), corneal opacity (15.0%), amblyopia (15.0%), glaucoma (5.7%) and hyperopia (5.0%). 39.5% of the visual impairment cases were potentially curable. CONCLUSION: The estimated magnitude of visual impairment and blindness was much higher than our expectations. Further investigation of the pattern of vision loss in women and children, particularly as a result of trachoma and amblyopia, is warranted. Implementation of measures to treat curable cases of the study population can improve the situation in the region dramatically.
Dr. S. Izadi, PO Box 98156-759, Zahedan 0044545185, Iran. izadish@yahoo.com
Classification:
1.1 Epidemiology (Part of: 1 General aspects)
1.5 Glaucomas as cause of blindness (Part of: 1 General aspects)