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COMMUNITY EYE CARE
Year : 2013  |  Volume : 61  |  Issue : 12  |  Page : 755-758

Changing trends in the prevalence of visual impairment, uncorrected refractive errors and use of spectacles in Mahbubnagar district in South India


1 Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India; Vision Cooperative Research Centre, Sydney, Australia; Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2 Vision Cooperative Research Centre, Sydney; Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
3 Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
4 Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India; Vision Cooperative Research Centre, Sydney, Australia

Correspondence Address:
Srinivas Marmamula
Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500 034, Andhra Pradesh, India

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Source of Support: The financial support for RARE study was provided in part by the Vision Co.operative Research Centre, Australia as part of Srinivas Marmamulafs doctoral program and by Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. APEDS study was supported by Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, Hyderabad, India, and Christoffel.Blindenmission, Bensheim, Germany., Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.121149

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Background/Aim: The Andhra Pradesh Eye disease Study (APEDS) was a conventional cross-sectional study conducted in four locations during 1996-2000. Ten years later, a Rapid Assessment of Refractive Errors (RARE) survey was conducted in one of the geographical regions. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI), uncorrected refractive error (URE), spectacles use obtained from both the surveys was compared. Settings and Design: Rural settings; cross-sectional studies. Materials and Methods: In both the surveys, distance visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a logMAR chart. Pinhole VA was assessed if presenting VA was <20/20 in APEDS and <20/40 in RARE. VI was defined as presenting VA <20/40 in the better eye. URE was defined as presenting VA <20/40 and improving to ≥20/40 with a pinhole. Statistical Analysis Used: Performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi square tests and t-test were used. Results and Conclusions: The results from a RARE survey with 3,095 subjects were compared with an APEDS dataset that had 1,232 subjects in the same age group of 15-49 years. The prevalence of VI has decreased from 9.5% (95% CI, 7.7-11.1) in APEDS to 2.7% (95% CI, 2.1-3.3) in RARE. Similarly, the prevalence of URE in the better eye decreased from 5.8% (95% CI, 4.5-7.1) to 2.3% (95% CI, 1.8-2.8). The usage of spectacles increased from 6.6% (95% CI, 5.2-8.0) to 9.7% (95% CI, 8.7-10.7). There is a decreasing trend in the prevalence of VI and URE in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh over a decade.


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