Epidemiology of older adult patients with ocular and periocular injuries and risk factors for severe injuries: a multicenter, observational study

Abstract

In an aging society, the annual frequency of older adult patients with ocular and periocular injuries has consistently increased. We aimed to identify the epidemiological characteristics and factors associated with severe ocular and periocular injuries in older adult patients. This retrospective, multicenter study was conducted using the regional eye injury registry of four tertiary teaching hospitals at a single metropolitan city in the Republic of Korea from August 2016 to December 2020. We enrolled adult patients aged ≥65 years and classified them as having severe or mild eye injuries. Next, we compared the epidemiological characteristics of the two study groups and determined the risk factors associated with severe eye injury through logistic regression analyses. Of the 1185 older adult patients, 279 (23.5%) had severe eye injuries. Males comprised most (823, 69.5%) of the study population. The most common location wherein the injury occurred was the street/highway for men and the home for women. Fall was the most common causative activity; however, farm work or mowing predominated as reasons for men and home activity for women. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that male sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.91, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.34–2.77), 70–74 years (aOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05–2.11), hammering/nailing (aOR: 5.84, 95%CI: 1.71–21.75), and mowing (aOR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.04–6.60) acted as risk factors for severe eye injury. In conclusion, older adult patients with ocular and periocular injuries occurred more commonly among men, and the most common causative activity of injury was a fall. Severe eye injury tended to occur in men aged 70–74 years while performing hammering/nailing and mowing activities.