title: Changing trends in the prevalence of visual impairment, uncorrected refractive errors and use of spectacles in Mahbubnagar district in South India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Andhra Pradesh Eye disease Study (APEDS) was a conventional cross-sectional study conducted in four locations during 1996-2000. Ten years later, a Rapid Assessment of Refractive Errors (RARE) survey was conducted in one of the geographical regions. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI), uncorrected refractive error (URE), spectacles use obtained from both the surveys was compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural settings; cross-sectional studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  In both the surveys, distance visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a logMAR chart. Pinhole VA was assessed if presenting VA was <20/20 in APEDS and <20/40 in RARE. VI was defined as presenting VA <20/40 in the better eye. URE was defined as presenting VA <20/40 and improving to ≥20/40 with a pinhole.
  
  
  METHODS
  Performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi square tests and t-test were used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from a RARE survey with 3,095 subjects were compared with an APEDS dataset that had 1,232 subjects in the same age group of 15-49 years. The prevalence of VI has decreased from 9.5% (95% CI, 7.7-11.1) in APEDS to 2.7% (95% CI, 2.1-3.3) in RARE. Similarly, the prevalence of URE in the better eye decreased from 5.8% (95% CI, 4.5-7.1) to 2.3% (95% CI, 1.8-2.8). The usage of spectacles increased from 6.6% (95% CI, 5.2-8.0) to 9.7% (95% CI, 8.7-10.7). There is a decreasing trend in the prevalence of VI and URE in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh over a decade.
authors.affiliation: Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India; Vision Cooperative Research Centre, Sydney, Australia; Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, .
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marmamula
authors.forename: Jill E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Keeffe
authors.forename: Saggam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narsaiah
authors.forename: Rohit C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: Gullapalli N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012424:Rural Population; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult