| Past Issue | Volume 8, Number 3, June 2006 | | The Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Common Ocular Disorders in the United Arab Emirates: a Hospital-based Study |
Abdulbari Bener,1,2 Saeed M Al-Bakr,3 Bertil Billing4
1Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar, 2Evidence for Population Health Unit, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, 3Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, and 4Department of Ophthalmology, Tawam Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
Aim: To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Al-Ain, the United Arab Emirates.
Methods: This was a descriptive population-based study performed at 2 hospitals. Of 2500 potential participants recruited between October 2001 and June 2002, 1686 (67.4%) gave their consent to participate in the study. Interviews, visual acuity testing, and an extensive eye examination were performed for each participant. The World Health Organization/Prevention of Blindness proforma and its classification system were used for identifying the main cause of low vision and blindness in each patient. The definitions of blindness (visual acuity <3/60) and low vision (visual acuity between <6/12 and >3/60) were based on the presenting visual acuity in the better eye.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.2 years. Most participants (91.9%) had normal vision, while 4.0% had visual impairment, 3.3% had low vision, and 0.8% were blind. Ocular disorders were present in 19.3% of the participants. Refractive error was the most common disorder (6.2%), followed by inactive and active trachoma (3.9%) and chalazion (2.3%).
Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive error is a major cause of visual impairment in this population, although these conditions are preventable. This survey indicates the need for the development and implementation of a national plan for the delivery of effective eye care services. The results also highlight the need for visual impairment prevention programmes, with emphasis on treatment of refractive errors.
Key words: Blindness, Epidemiology, Low vision, Prevalence, United Arab Emirates, Vision disorders
Asian J Ophthalmol 2006;8:105-9.
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