RESUMEN
Older adults living in remote areas with limited access to health services are at higher risk to develop visual impairment and blindness. We conducted a population-based survey to determine the vision status in subjects 45 years of age and older from urban and rural areas of Parintins city, Brazilian Amazon Region. Participants underwent ophthalmic examination, including uncorrected (UCVA), presenting (PVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Vision status was described as lines of visual acuity (VA) impairment and lines of VA improvement from UCVA to BCVA and from PVA to BCVA in the better-seeing eye. A total of 2384 subjects were enumerated, 2041 (85.6%) were examined, with reliable VA measurements obtained from 2025 participants. Vision status in lines of VA impairment was (mean ± standard deviation): 3.44 ± 3.53 for UCVA, 2.85 ± 3.52 for PVA and 1.50 ± 3.51 for BCVA. Female gender, older age and lower education were associated with ≥6 lines of UCVA impairment. Lines of improvement ≥3 was found in 626 (30.9%) participants and associated with female gender and rural residency. In conclusion, a third of participants could have at least three lines of VA improvement with proper refraction. Strategies to improve access to eye care and affordable glasses are needed.
Asunto(s)
Población Rural/estadística & datos numéricos , Visión Ocular/fisiología , Agudeza Visual/fisiología , Distribución por Edad , Anciano , Ceguera/fisiopatología , Brasil , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , Distribución por Sexo , Baja Visión/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To describe the study design, operational strategies, procedures, and baseline characteristics of the Brazilian Amazon Region Eye Survey (BARES), a population-based survey of the prevalence and causes of distance and near visual impairment and blindness in older adults residing in the city of Parintins. METHODS: Cluster sampling, based on geographically defined census sectors, was used for cross-sectional random sampling of persons 45 years and older from urban and rural areas. Subjects were enumerated through a door-to-door survey and invited for measurement of uncorrected, presenting and best-corrected visual acuity and an ocular examination. RESULTS: Of 9931 residents (5878 urban and 4053 rural), 2384 individuals (1410 urban and 974 rural) were eligible and 2041 (1180 urban and 861 rural) had a clinical examination (response rate 85.6%). The majority of participants were female (1041, 51.0%); the average age was 59.9 ± 11.1 years (60.2 ± 11.2 years for urban and 59.4 ± 11.1 years for rural); 1360 (66.6%) had primary schooling or less (58.1% in urban and 78.4% in rural) and 57.8% were resident in urban areas. The age distribution between sexes was similar (p = 0.178). Both sex and age distributions of the sample were comparable to that of the Brazilian Amazon Region population. CONCLUSIONS: The BARES cohort will provide information about the prevalence and causes of near and distance vision in this underprivileged and remote population in Brazil.