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Bhardwaj A, Vashist P, Singh Senjam S, Gupta V, Gupta N, Manna S. Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Visual Impairment in Two Coastal Districts of Eastern India for Determining Effective Coverage: A Cross-Sectional Study. JOVR [Internet]. 2023Apr.19 [cited 2024May2];18(2):182–191. Available from: https://knepublishing.com/index.php/JOVR/article/view/13185

https://doi.org/10.18502/jovr.v18i2.13185

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authors

  • Amit Bhardwaj

    Amit Bhardwaj

    Community Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
  • Praveen Vashist

    Praveen Vashist

    Community Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
  • Suraj Singh Senjam

    Suraj Singh Senjam

    Community Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
  • Vivek Gupta

    Vivek Gupta

    Community Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
  • Noopur Gupta

    Noopur Gupta

    Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
  • Souvik Manna

    Souvik Manna

    Community Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

Published Date

  • Apr 19, 2023
This journal is publishing all the articles under Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Visual Impairment in Two Coastal Districts of Eastern India for Determining Effective Coverage: A Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research (JOVR) / April–June 2023, Volume 18, Issue 2 / Pages 182–191

Abstract

Purpose: To measure the prevalence and causes of visual impairment (VI) among the 40+ age population in two coastal districts of India and to determine the levels of effective cataract surgical coverage (eCSC) and effective refractive error coverage (eREC) in the study population.


Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 4200 people chosen using cluster sampling in two coastal districts of Odisha, an eastern state in India. A team consisting of trained optometrists and social workers conducted the ocular examination which included unaided, pinhole, and aided visual acuity assessments followed by examination of the anterior segment and lens.


Results: Overall, 3745 (89.2%) participants were examined from 60 study clusters, 30 in each district. Among those examined, 1677 (44.8%) were men, 2554 (68.2%) were educated and number? (17.8%) used distance spectacles during the survey. The prevalence of VI adjusted for age and gender was 12.77% (95% CI 11.85–13.69%). Multiple logistic regression showed that older age (OR 3.1; 95% CI 2.0–4.7) and urban residence (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0–1.6) were associated with VI. Being educated (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.3–0.6) and using glasses (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.5–0.2) were found to provide protection; therefore, resulting in lower instances of VI. Cataract (62.7%) and uncorrected refractive errors (27.1%) were the two main causes of VI. The eCSC was 35.1%, the eREC for distance was 40.0%, and the eREC for near was 35.7%.


Conclusion: VI remains a challenge in Odisha, as the prevalence is high and the surgical coverage is poor. Nearly 90% of VI is avoidable indicating that targeted interventions are required to address this problem.

Keywords:

Blindness, Cataract, Refractive Error

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