Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33243810›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Prevalence, care-seeking practices and impact of self-reported vision impairment in Southwest Cameroon: a community-based study.

Susan N Mbeboh, Sabrinah Ariane Christie, Melissa Carvalho, Drusia Dickson, Theophile Nana, Frida Embolo, Rochelle Dicker, Catherine Juillard, Alain Chichom Mefire

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Susan N MbebohFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
Sabrinah Ariane ChristieDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Melissa CarvalhoDepartment of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Drusia DicksonDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Theophile NanaDepartment of Surgery, Limbe Regional Hospital, Limbe, Cameroon.
Frida EmboloFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
Rochelle DickerDepartment of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Catherine JuillardDepartment of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA c.juillard@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-0847-8933
Alain Chichom MefireFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo establish the prevalence of self-reported vision impairment (VI) in Southwest Cameroon and describe associated care-seeking practices, functional limitations and economic hardships.

designA three-stage clustered sampling household community-based survey.

settingThe Southwest region of Cameroon.

participants8046 individuals of all ages residing in the Southwest region of Cameroon. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of self-reported VI, onset of vision loss, care-seeking practices, diagnosis and treatment, functional limitations, economic hardships on household, beliefs about surgical treatability of blindness and barriers to surgical care.

resultsThe estimated prevalence of self-reported VI in Southwest Cameroon was 0.87% (95% CI 0.62 to 1.21). Among participants aged ≥40 years, the prevalence increased to 2.61% (95% CI 1.74 to 3.90). Less than a quarter of affected participants reported difficulty working (20.5%) or trouble going to school (12.0%) as a result of their VI. Yet, over half (52%, n=43) of affected households experienced significant economic hardships due to the VI. Residing in an urban setting (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.30) and belonging to a higher socioeconomic status (aOR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.26) were factors associated with the belief that certain types of blindness were surgically reversible. Formal care was not sought by 16.3% (n=8) of affected participants. Cataracts was the leading diagnosis among participants who did seek formal care (43.2%, n=16), although 93.8% of these cases were not surgically treated, primarily due to a lack of perceived need.

conclusionThe prevalence of individuals who report vision impairment in Southwest Cameroon is considerably lower than prior published estimates based on visual physical examinations. Routine community-level screening and cost financing schemes could improve detection of pre-clinical eye disease and the utilisation of surgical care. It could also pre-empt disability and economic hardships associated with advanced VI in the region.

Indexed as

Self ReportBlindnessCameroonCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceepidemiologyophthalmologypublic healthsurgery

Identifiers

PMID33243810
PMCPMC7692974

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.