Giridhar Pyda, Dandona Rakhi, Prasad Mudigonda N, Kovai Vilas, Dandona Lalit
International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
Indian J Ophthalmol. 2002 Sep;50(3):239-46.
This study assessed the fear of being affected by illness and disability including blindness, and perceptions of the population towards blind people in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. A total of 11,786 subjects of all ages were sampled from 94 clusters in one urban and three rural study areas of Andhra Pradesh using stratified, random, cluster, systematic sampling to represent the population of this state. A total of 10,293 subjects of all ages underwent a detailed interview and dilated ocular evaluation. Subjects > 15 years of age (7,432) were interviewed regarding fear of illness/disability and their perceptions of blind people. The fear of blindness was assessed in comparison to cancer, severe mental illness, heart attack, losing limbs, deafness, inability to speak, and paralysis. A majority of the study population feared all the illnesses and disabilities assessed. The prevalence of fear of blindness was 90.9% (95% confidence interval 89.1-92.8%) and 92.1% (95% confidence interval 90.6-93.6%) in urban and rural study areas respectively. With multiple logistic regression the fear of blindness was significantly higher for those with any level of education and for those living in the rural study areas. The proportion of those having positive feelings towards blind people was higher in the urban study area. A high prevalence of blindness, 1.84%, has been reported in this population previously. These data suggest that this population feared blindness, and yet there is a high rate of blindness. This reflects the need for increasing awareness about blindness in this population through eye health promotion strategies in order to reduce blindness, and awareness regarding the availability of rehabilitation services.
本研究评估了印度安得拉邦民众对包括失明在内的疾病和残疾的恐惧，以及他们对盲人的看法。采用分层随机整群系统抽样方法，从安得拉邦一个城市和三个农村研究区域的94个群组中抽取了总共11786名各年龄段的受试者，以代表该邦人口。总共10293名各年龄段的受试者接受了详细访谈和散瞳眼部评估。对15岁以上的受试者（7432名）就疾病/残疾恐惧及他们对盲人的看法进行了访谈。将失明恐惧与癌症、严重精神疾病、心脏病发作、肢体缺失、失聪、失语和瘫痪进行了比较评估。大多数研究人群对所评估的所有疾病和残疾都感到恐惧。在城市和农村研究区域，失明恐惧的患病率分别为90.9%（95%置信区间89.1 - 92.8%）和92.1%（95%置信区间90.6 - 93.6%）。通过多因素逻辑回归分析发现，任何教育程度的人群以及居住在农村研究区域的人群对失明的恐惧显著更高。城市研究区域对盲人有积极看法的人群比例更高。此前该人群中失明患病率已报告为1.84%。这些数据表明该人群害怕失明，但失明率却很高。这反映出需要通过眼健康促进策略提高该人群对失明的认识，以减少失明情况，并提高对康复服务可及性的认识。
