Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34949578›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of ophthalmology2023

Prevalence of blindness and distance vision impairment in the Gambia across three decades of eye health programming.

Abba Hydara, Islay Mactaggart, Suzannah J Bell, John A Okoh, Segun I Olaniyan, Mildred Aleser, Hannaa Bobat, Andy Cassels-Brown, Ben Kirkpatrick, Min J Kim and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of ophthalmology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. A 12-year nationwide cohort study on the association between central retinal artery occlusion and cancer.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2023
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Abba HydaraSheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre, Banjul, Gambia.
Islay MactaggartInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6287-0384
Suzannah J BellMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3328-3698
John A OkohSheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre, Banjul, Gambia.
Segun I OlaniyanDepartment of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.
Mildred AleserInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Hannaa BobatSt Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Newport, Isle of Wight, UK.
Andy Cassels-BrownThe Fred Hollows Foundation, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ben KirkpatrickMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Min J KimInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Ian McCormickInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7360-3844
Hannah FaalDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria.
Matthew J BurtonInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK matthew.burton@lshtm.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-1872-9169
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust · GBIsle of Wight NHS Trust · GBNHS Highland · GBUniversity College Hospital, Ibadan · NGUniversity of Calabar · NG

Funding

Wellcome Trust 207472/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimsThe 1986 Gambia National Eye Health Survey provided baseline data for a National Eye Health Programme. A second survey in 1996 evaluated changes in population eye health a decade later. We completed a third survey in 2019, to determine the current state of population eye health, considering service developments and demographic change.

methodsWe estimated prevalence and causes of vision impairment (VI) in a nationally representative population-based sample of adults 35 years and older. We used multistage cluster random sampling to sample 10 800 adults 35 and above in 360 clusters of 30. We measured monocular distance visual acuity (uncorrected and with available correction) using Peek Acuity. Participants with either eye uncorrected or presenting (with available correction) acuity <6/12 were retested with pinhole and refraction, and dilated exams were completed on all eyes by ophthalmologists using a direct ophthalmoscope, slit lamp and 90 D lens.

resultsWe examined 9188 participants (response rate 83%). The 2013 census age-sex adjusted prevalence of blindness (presenting acuity<3/60 in better seeing eye) was 1.2% (95% CI 0.9 to 1.4) and of moderate or severe VI (MSVI,<6/18 to ≥3/60) was 8.9% (95% CI 9.1 to 9.7). Prevalence of all distance VI (<6/12) was 13.4% (12.4-14.4). Compared with 1996, the relative risk of blindness decreased (risk ratio 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0) and MSVI increased (risk ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 0.17).

conclusionSignificant progress has been made to reduce blindness and increase access to eye health across the Gambia, with further work is needed to decrease the risk of MSVI.

Indexed as

Persons with Visual DisabilitiesVision, LowAdultBlindnessGambiaHumansPrevalenceVision Disordersepidemiologypublic healthvision

Identifiers

PMID34949578
PMCPMC10314069
OpenAlexW4200234748

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.