Abstract
Dai ethnicity is one of the major Chinese ethnic minorities with a population of about 1.2 million. We aimed to determine the prevalence and potential causes of visual impairment (VI) among ethnic Dai adults aged 50 years or older in a rural community in China. A population-based survey including 2163 ethnic Dai people (80.5%) was undertaken using a random cluster sampling strategy. The detailed eye examination was performed after pupil dilation by trained study ophthalmologists and optometrists. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study logMAR chart and VI was defined as a VA of less than 20/63 in the better-seeing eye. The overall prevalence of presenting blindness and low vision was 3.0% (95% CI, 2.3–3.7) and 13.3% (95% CI, 11.9–14.8), respectively. The prevalence estimates were reduced to 2.1% (95% CI, 1.5–2.8) and 6.7% (95% CI, 5.7–7.8) when BCVA was considered. Men were more likely to be affected by low vision but less likely to be blind compared with women. Cataract accounted for 62.7% of presenting low vision and 68.8% of presenting blindness, respectively. In conclusion, VI was a significant health concern in Dai Chinese in China.
Highlights
Visual impairment (VI) is a devastating disability throughout the world[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] and is associated with functional limitations[8], falls[9], difficulties in managing stairs[10], depressive symptoms[11], cognitive dysfunction[12], and increased risk of mortality[13,14]
When defined by best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), cataract remained the leading cause of visual impairment (VI) (68.6%) while Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and myopic maculopathy accounted for 8.9% and 7.3% of VI in this cohort. In this population-based eye survey of middle-aged to elderly adults of Dai ethnicity in rural China, we reported that 15.9% of the study participants were affected by presenting VI and 8.0% were affected by best-corrected VI, which was a bit lower compared with the rates of Bai ethnicity living in the same province
Comparing prevalence estimates among different studies should account for methodological disparities among different studies such as sampling strategies, definitions of the outcomes, and age ranges of the study subjects
Summary
Visual impairment (VI) is a devastating disability throughout the world[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] and is associated with functional limitations[8], falls[9], difficulties in managing stairs[10], depressive symptoms[11], cognitive dysfunction[12], and increased risk of mortality[13,14]. It recommends that the member states target a 25% reduction in the prevalence of VI from 2010 baseline This underscores the importance of periodic regional surveys to understand both the burdens and the causes in VI over time and to plan strategies to address this issue. The Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study had estimated that the prevalence of VI in China is about 10% in adults aged 50 years or older[1]. How accurate the estimation is remains unclear as the calculation was based on several population-based studies in people of Han ethnicity. Understanding the epidemiology of VI in Dai people could contribute to the accurate estimation of the disease burden and guide clinical management and health resource allocation in China. We reported the population-based prevalence and possible causes of VI among middle-aged to elderly adults aged 50 years or older in a rural community in China
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