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. 2024 Oct 24;19(10):e0299768.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299768. eCollection 2024.

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  1   2   3 , Nyi Nyi Naing  2 , Norasyikin Mustafa  4 , Wan Radziah Wan Nawang  3 , Siti Nurhuda Sharudin  3 , Nor Fariza Ngah  5
Affiliations

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 et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Population 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.

Methods: The 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.

Results: A 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.

Conclusion: The 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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Survey administrative regions, total population, and percentage of individuals 50 years and older in Malaysia.
(This study surveyed Eastern and Sarawak only). Reprinted from [Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness: Survey Data. Available from: https://www.raab.world/survey-dataRAAB world] under a CC BY license, with the permission from OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF), original copyright year 2024.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Population in sample vs survey areas, NES III (2023).
Fig 3
Fig 3. The mobile unit on a boat en route to Kapit, a remote district in Sarawak.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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