Prevalence and Risk Factors for Near and Far Visual Difficulty in Burkina Faso
Date
2010-10
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Abstract
Purpose: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for near and far visual difficulty in Burkina Faso.
Methods: Population-based data were used from the World Health Survey done in Burkina Faso in 2002–2003 (n = 4,822 adults). Near and far visual difficulty were assessed by questions about difficulty seeing and recognizing an object at arm’s length and about difficulty seeing and recognizing a person across the road. Prevalence estimates were adjusted for the multi-stage, stratified, random cluster sampling design. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors.
Results: The overall prevalence of any near and far visual difficulty was 10% (standard error [SE] = 0.7%) and 13% (SE = 0.9%) respectively. Prevalence estimates were strongly associated with age with 48% (SE = 4.2%) and 66% (SE = 3.9%) of those ≥ 65 years old having near or far visual difficulty (P < 0.001). Only 5% (SE = 0.6%) of people wore glasses. We identified two potentially modifiable variables associated with near visual difficulty: a cooking stove in the same room as sleeping area (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.01, 2.02) and high fruit consumption (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.50, 0.86).
Conclusion: The prevalence of visual difficulty was high in Burkina Faso. Efforts to confirm these findings with cooking stove location and fruit consumption should be undertaken in this population.
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Keywords
BURKINA FASO, COOKING STOVE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, FRUITS, RISK FACTORS, VISION, VISUAL ACUITY, OPTOMETRY, PREVALENCE
Citation
Freeman, E., Zunzunegui, M. V., Kouanda, S., Aubin, M. J., Popescu, M., Miszkurka, M., … Haddad, S. (2010). Prevalence and Risk Factors for Near and Far Visual Difficulty in Burkina Faso. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 17 (5): 301-306. doi:10.3109/09286586.2010.508354