Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39446766›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Prevalence of visual impairment and its causes in adults aged 50 years and older: Estimates from the National Eye Surveys in Malaysia.

Mohamad Aziz Salowi, Nyi Nyi Naing, Norasyikin Mustafa, Wan Radziah Wan Nawang, Siti Nurhuda Sharudin, Nor Fariza Ngah

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Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

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3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mohamad Aziz SalowiClinical Research Centre (CRC), National Institute of Health (NIH), Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Nyi Nyi NaingFaculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0001-8308-5625
Norasyikin MustafaFaculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Wan Radziah Wan NawangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Selayang Hospital, Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Siti Nurhuda SharudinDepartment of Ophthalmology, Selayang Hospital, Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Nor Fariza NgahDeputy Director General Office (Research and Support), Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPopulation 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.

methodsThe 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.

resultsA 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.

conclusionThe 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.

Indexed as

BlindnessAgedAged, 80 and overCataractFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMalaysiaMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceVision DisordersVision, LowVisual Acuity

Identifiers

PMID39446766
PMCPMC11500914

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