Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 Aug;107(8):1178-1183. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-320127. Epub 2022 Mar 30.
To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in Vientiane Province, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of 1264 participants aged 40 years and older from urban and rural areas of Vientiane Province. The ophthalmic examination included presenting and pinhole Snellen visual acuity (VA) with an illiterate E chart, slit-lamp examination of the anterior segment and dilated stereoscopic fundus examination. Visual impairment and blindness were defined by both presenting and pinhole VA based on the better eye according to WHO criteria: VA worse than 6/12 to 6/18 for mild impairment, VA worse than 6/18 to 6/60 for moderate impairment, VA worse than 6/60 to 3/60 for severe impairment and VA worse than 3/60 for blindness.
Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed on 1264 participants (77.8% participation rate). Population-weighted prevalence of presenting bilateral blindness was 1.4% (95% CI 0.8 to 2.0) and bilateral visual impairment was 22.4% (95% CI 14.7 to 30.1). After pinhole correction, the corresponding prevalence of blindness was 1.3% (95% CI 0.8 to 2.0) and that of visual impairment was 12.6% (95% CI 8.2 to 16.9). Cataract was the leading cause of presenting bilateral blindness (52.9%), whereas uncorrected refractive error was the predominant cause of presenting visual impairment (40.3%).
Visual impairment and blindness remain major public health problems in Lao PDR. There is an ongoing need to fund ophthalmic care resources and community education programmes to improve access to healthcare in this region.
确定老挝人民民主共和国万象省的视力障碍和失明的患病率和原因。
我们对来自万象省城乡地区的 1264 名 40 岁及以上的参与者进行了一项基于人群的横断面研究。眼科检查包括眼前和小孔视力（VA）的呈现和针孔 Snellen，前节裂隙灯检查和散瞳立体眼底检查。根据世界卫生组织的标准，根据较好眼的呈现和小孔视力来定义视力障碍和失明：视力低于 6/12 至 6/18 为轻度损害，视力低于 6/18 至 6/60 为中度损害，视力低于 6/60 至 3/60 为重度损害，视力低于 3/60 为失明。
对 1264 名参与者（参与率为 77.8%）进行了全面的眼科检查。呈现双眼失明的人群加权患病率为 1.4%（95%CI 0.8 至 2.0），双眼视力障碍的患病率为 22.4%（95%CI 14.7 至 30.1）。小孔矫正后，失明的相应患病率为 1.3%（95%CI 0.8 至 2.0），视力障碍的患病率为 12.6%（95%CI 8.2 至 16.9）。白内障是呈现双眼失明的主要原因（52.9%），而未矫正的屈光不正则是呈现视力障碍的主要原因（40.3%）。
视力障碍和失明仍然是老挝人民民主共和国的主要公共卫生问题。该地区仍需要为眼科保健资源和社区教育计划提供资金，以改善医疗保健的获取。
