Centre for Health Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Eye (Lond). 2024 Oct;38(15):2920-2925. doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-03181-3. Epub 2024 Jun 15.
Cataracts may increase risk for falls but studies on this topic from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. Therefore, we examined the cross-sectional association between self-reported visual symptoms (suggesting cataract) and self-reported injurious falls in nationally representative samples of adults aged ≥ 65 years from five LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, and Russia).
Data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analysed. Self-reported information on past 12-month fall-related injury and cataract based on symptoms were collected. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analyses were conducted to assess associations.
Data on 13,101 people aged ≥ 65 years were analysed [mean (SD) age 72.5 (11.3) years; 45.2% males]. The overall prevalence of self-reported fall-related injury and visual symptoms (suggesting cataract) were 4.9% and 29.4%, respectively. There was a positive association between self-reported visual symptoms (suggesting cataract) and fall-related injury (i.e., OR > 1) in all five countries but statistical significance was reached in three: China (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.08-2.35), India (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.15-3.35), and Russia (OR = 3.58; 95% CI = 2.06-6.24). The pooled OR including all five countries based on a meta-analysis was OR = 1.88 (95% CI = 1.32-2.68).
Self-reported visual symptoms (suggesting cataract) were associated with higher odds for self-reported injurious falls among older adults in LMICs. Expanding availability of cataract surgery in LMICs may also have the additional benefit of reducing falls among older people.
白内障可能会增加跌倒的风险，但来自中低收入国家（LMICs）的关于该主题的研究很少。因此，我们检查了来自五个 LMICs（中国、加纳、印度、墨西哥和俄罗斯）的全国代表性老年人样本中自我报告的视觉症状（提示白内障）与自我报告的伤害性跌倒之间的横断面关联。
分析了世界卫生组织全球老龄化和成人健康研究（SAGE）的数据。根据症状收集了过去 12 个月与跌倒相关的伤害和白内障的自我报告信息。进行多变量逻辑回归和荟萃分析以评估关联。
分析了 13101 名年龄≥65 岁的人[平均（SD）年龄 72.5（11.3）岁；45.2%为男性]。自我报告的与跌倒相关的伤害和视觉症状（提示白内障）的总体患病率分别为 4.9%和 29.4%。在所有五个国家中，自我报告的视觉症状（提示白内障）与跌倒相关的伤害之间存在正相关（即 OR>1），但在三个国家中达到了统计学意义：中国（OR=1.60；95%CI=1.08-2.35），印度（OR=1.96；95%CI=1.15-3.35）和俄罗斯（OR=3.58；95%CI=2.06-6.24）。基于荟萃分析包括所有五个国家的汇总 OR 为 OR=1.88（95%CI=1.32-2.68）。
在 LMICs 中，自我报告的视觉症状（提示白内障）与老年人自我报告的伤害性跌倒的几率较高相关。扩大 LMICs 中白内障手术的可及性也可能对减少老年人跌倒有额外的好处。
