Visual Status, Ocular Profiles and Associated Quality of Life of Workers in the Weaving Community of Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the visual status, ocular profiles, and associated quality of life (QoL) among workers in the weaving community of Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India.

METHOD

This study was conducted in rural weaving and textile factories within Salem District, South India, focusing on weaving-related work. From an estimated population of 8,010 employees, 1,230 participants were selected for the study. Three suitable factories were chosen after obtaining appropriate permissions. The inclusion criteria were workers aged 18-60 years actively involved in production roles, while administrative staff were excluded. Visual acuity, was assessed, and refractive errors, including myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism, were measured. Visual impairment was defined as a visual acuity of less than 6/12 in either eye. For participants under 40 years of age, additional evaluations included near point of accommodation and near point of convergence. Comprehensive data collection involved recording demographic information, conducting detained eye examination, and assessing quality of life using the low vision quality of life questionnaire (LVQOL).

RESULTS

The study included 1,230 participants, with a mean age of 39.46 ± 10.84 years, of whom 74.4% were male. Visual impairment (VI) was observed in 35.04% of participants, with the majority (83.75%) of Vi cases had uncorrected refractive errors (URE) and 7.19% had cataracts. Visual impairment was more prevalent in the 51-60 age group, affecting 48.1% of individuals in this category. Females demonstrated higher odds of spectacle usage compared to males (OR 0.729, 95% CI 0.548-0.969), especially among workers in sewing and presser roles. A low mean near point of convergence (NPC) of 8.84 ± 3.29 cm was noted, with 36% of participants exhibiting reduced amplitudes of accommodation. Color vision defects were identified in 6.0% of females and 4.6% of males. A significant associations was found between occupation, gender, and spectacle usage (X2, N = 122, = 0.029). Quality of life, as measured by the LVQOL, ranged from 1.8 to 5.0, with a mean score of 4.386 ± 0.6445. A statistically significant correlation was identified between presenting visual acuity and LVQOL scores, indicating that participants with visual impairment had lower overall LVQOL scores (Spearman correlation, < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Uncorrected refractive error (URE) emerged out as the primary cause of visual impairment among workers in the weaving industry. Additionally, presenting visual acuity significantly influenced the quality of life (QoL) of participants. These findings underscore the urgent need for timely interventions to enhance both worker performance and overall QoL within the weaving industry.