Clinical Research Centre (CRC), National Institute of Health (NIH), Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 24;19(10):e0299768. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299768. eCollection 2024.
Population surveys are necessary to measure a community's eye care needs. We conducted simultaneous surveys in two regions in Malaysia in 2023 to estimate the prevalence of blindness and/or visual impairment (VI), identify its main causes, and compare the results with the survey in 2014.
The surveys were simultaneously done in Eastern and Sarawak administrative regions using the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) technique. It involved a multistage cluster sampling method, each cluster comprising 50 residents aged 50 years and older. The prevalence of blindness and/or visual impairment (blindness, severe, moderate, and early) and its primary cause were determined through a visual acuity test and eye examination with a hand-held ophthalmoscope. Results were compared with the previous survey in 2014.
A total of 10,184 subjects were enumerated, and 9,709 were examined (94.5% and 96.2% responses for Eastern and Sarawak, respectively). The prevalence of blindness and severe VI appeared lower than the previous survey. For blindness: Eastern 1.4%, 95%CI (0.9, 1.9) to 0.8%, 95%CI (0.5, 1.1) and Sarawak: 1.6% 95%CI (1.0, 2.1) to 0.6%, 95%CI (0.3, 0.9). For severe VI: Eastern 1.2%, 95%CI (0.8, 1.7) to 0.9%, 95%CI (0.6, 1.1) and Sarawak 1.1% 95%CI (0.6, 1.6) to 0.9%, 95% CI(0.6, 1.2). The main cause of blindness was untreated cataracts: 77.3% (Eastern) and 75.0% (Sarawak). Diabetic retinopathy was the 2nd main cause of blindness for Eastern at 9.1%, but it only caused early to severe VI in Sarawak.
The prevalence of blindness and severe VI were lower than in the previous survey. It could have been attributed to a community cataract program implemented soon after the survey in 2014. However, more efforts are needed to address the high percentage of avoidable blindness within both regions.
人口调查对于评估社区的眼保健需求至关重要。我们于 2023 年在马来西亚的两个地区同时进行调查，旨在评估失明和/或视力损伤（VI）的患病率，确定其主要病因，并将结果与 2014 年的调查结果进行比较。
在东马来西亚和砂拉越行政区域同时采用快速性盲症评估（Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness，RAAB）技术进行调查。该调查采用多阶段聚类抽样方法，每个样本包括 50 名年龄在 50 岁及以上的居民。通过视力测试和手持检眼镜进行眼部检查，确定失明和/或视力损伤（失明、重度、中度和早期）的患病率及其主要病因。将结果与 2014 年的调查结果进行比较。
共登记了 10184 人，其中 9709 人接受了检查（东部地区和砂拉越地区的应答率分别为 94.5%和 96.2%）。与之前的调查相比，本次调查显示失明和重度 VI 的患病率有所下降。东部地区的失明患病率为 1.4%（95%CI：0.9%至 1.9%），2014 年为 0.8%（95%CI：0.5%至 1.1%）；砂拉越地区的失明患病率为 1.6%（95%CI：1.0%至 2.1%），2014 年为 0.6%（95%CI：0.3%至 0.9%）。东部地区重度 VI 的患病率为 1.2%（95%CI：0.8%至 1.7%），2014 年为 0.9%（95%CI：0.6%至 1.1%）；砂拉越地区的重度 VI 的患病率为 1.1%（95%CI：0.6%至 1.6%），2014 年为 0.9%（95%CI：0.6%至 1.2%）。失明的主要原因为未治疗的白内障：东部地区占 77.3%，砂拉越地区占 75.0%。糖尿病性视网膜病变是东部地区失明的第二大主要原因，占 9.1%，但在砂拉越仅导致早期至重度 VI。
本次调查的失明和重度 VI 患病率低于之前的调查结果。这可能归因于 2014 年调查后不久实施的社区白内障计划。然而，在这两个地区，仍需进一步努力来解决高比例的可避免失明问题。
