Prevalence of cataract in rural Indonesia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of cataract in adults in rural Sumatra, Indonesia.


METHODS
Population-based cross-sectional study.


METHODS
A random sample of all adults aged 21 years or older living in 3 rural villages in central Sumatra was assessed. Nine hundred nineteen of 1089 (84.4%) eligible adults participated.


METHODS
A team of 7 ophthalmologists examined the anterior segment of both eyes using a portable slit lamp after pupil dilatation. Lens opacity was graded according to the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III). A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on education level and income.


METHODS
Cataract was defined as either a LOCS III nuclear region score of > or =4.0, cortical > or =4.0, or posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataract > or =2.0, in either eye.


RESULTS
Two hundred one (21.9%) of 919 subjects were found to have cataract. The age-adjusted prevalence rate of cataract (including cataract surgery) was 23.0% (95% confidence interval, 20.8-25.2). The most common type of cataract for both genders (adjusted for age) was mixed (13%) followed by nuclear only (5.7%), and cortical only (4%). The prevalence rate of any cataract for adults aged 21 to 29 was 1.1%, increasing to 82.8% for those aged older than 60 years. Similar trends with age were noted for nuclear, cortical, and PSC cataract. Women had higher prevalence rates than men for all types of cataract except cortical. There was a trend of increasing prevalence of all types of cataract with decreasing education (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Cataract prevalence in adults aged 21 years and older in rural Indonesia is among the highest reported in Southeast Asia. Despite this, there are inadequate resources available to manage this treatable disease. Allocation of resources to tackle the present burden of cataract would likely have large personal, social, and economic benefits.
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
Rahat
R
Husain
Louis
L
Tong
Alan
A
Fong
Jin F
JF
Cheng
Alicia
A
How
Wei-Han
WH
Chua
Llewelyn
L
Lee
Gus
G
Gazzard
Donald T
DT
Tan
David
D
Koh
Seang M
SM
Saw
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires