Gender differences in adult blindness and low vision, Central Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND
Blindness is a major global public health concern. Approximately 50 million people are blind, three times that number is visually impaired; 90% of whom live in poor countries. Women account for 65% of blind people in the world.


OBJECTIVE
To assess gender differences in prevalence rates and causes of low vision and blindness.


METHODS
Population-based cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Gurage Zone; Ethiopian adults 40 years old and above. (n = 1100).


METHODS
Equal number of women and men 40 years-old and above in the Gurage Zone, Ethiopia, were selected using a multistage sampling method.


METHODS
Bilateral low vision was defined as presenting Visual Acuity (VA) worse than 6/18 and better than 3/60, and bilateral blindness as presenting VA worse than 3/60 in the better eye.


RESULTS
The prevalence rates were 10.9% for bilateral low vision and 3.5% for bilateral blindness. Women comprised 59.0% of blindness, and 70.0% of low vision. The difference in gender distribution and low vision was statistically significant in all age groups. Women had 1.46 excess risk of bilateral blindness. The rates of bilateral low vision and blindness increased with age. Cataract is a leading cause of bilateral low vision (66.7%) and blindness (59.0%). Glaucoma is the second cause of blindness. Uncorrected refractive errors are the second cause of low vision (23.3%). Trachoma is the third cause of low vision and blindness.


CONCLUSIONS
The age- and gender-adjusted rates of low vision and blindness is very high in general and in women in particular. Cataract is a leading cause of blindness and low vision in Ethiopian adults. It is recommended that gender sensitive prevention and intervention program of avoidable blindness needs to be an ongoing focus in the study area.
Woldeyes
Alemayehu
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 6233, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. alexwoldt@yahoo.com
Adamu
Yilkal
Y
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity