بررسي حدت و اختلات بينايي در جامعه روستايي استان يزد

EVALUATION OF VISUAL ACUITY AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN RURAL POPULATION OF YAZD , IRAN

Introduction: Blindness is one of the major health problems that have not been taken seriously in the world despite the fact that most blindness can be prevented or treated by developing skills or by proper usage of resources. The purposes of this research were as follows: 1) To identify visual acuity and prevalence of visual impairments in rural areas of Yazd. 2) To evaluate the need for basic ophthalmic services in rural areas. Methods: In this descriptive cross- sectional study, 5285 people from Yazd rural areas were screened using random cluster sample technique. 35 clusters of 40 families were selected randomly, and all members of the families were interviewed and examined by a general physician. Results : Visual acuity, gross eye examination and medical history of related diseases were studied and recorded. 49.8% of studied specimens were men and 50.2% were women. 32% of observed population had abnormal vision. The overall prevalence of blindness (visual acuity less than 3.60) was 4110000 and major causes of blindness were cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which increased with age considerably. The prevalence of abnormal vision was more in women (37.4%) than in men (26.6%) at all ages (P-value=. 000). 49.7% of those with refractive errors didnʹt wear spectacles. 83% of patients with more than 3years history of diabetes had abnormal visual acuity while in non diabetic population the prevalence was 30.6%. Conclusion: This study shows that visual impairment is one of the basic health problems that need a plan for prevention and treatment. This can be achieved by providing ophthalmic services and necessary trainings in rural areas.