Prevalence and risk factors for near and far visual difficulty in Burkina Faso.
OBJECTIVE
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;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 >or= 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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Freeman
Ellen E
EE
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. eefreeman@gmail.com
Zunzunegui
Maria-Victoria
MV
Kouanda
Seni
S
Aubin
Marie-José
MJ
Popescu
Mihaela L
ML
Miszkurka
Malgorzata
M
Cojocaru
Dan
D
Haddad
Slim
S
D000368:Aged; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014944:World Health Organization