title: [Prevalence and causes of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment among adults aged 50 years or above in Yongchuan District of Chongqing City: the China Nine-Province survey].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and causes of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment among adults aged 50 years or above in Yongchuan of Chongqing City, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a population-based cross-section study.Geographically defined cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting 5663 individuals aged ≥ 50 years in Yongchuan District. The survey was preceded by a pilot study where operational methods were refined and quality assurance evaluation was carried out. All participants were enumerated through village registers followed door-to-door visits.Eligible individuals were invited to receive visual acuity measurement and eye examination. Prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment was calculated according to different age, gender or education. And the reasons of blindness were analyzed.Statistical analyses were performed using Stata/SE Statistical Software, release 9.0. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association of age, gender and education with presenting and best corrected visual acuity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five thousands six hundreds and sixty-three individuals were enumerated and 5390 persons were examined, the response rate was 95.18%. Based on the criteria of World Health Organization visual impairment classification in 1973, the prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment defined as best corrected visual acuity was 2.12% (114/5390) and 5.40% (291/5390) respectively. The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment defined as presenting visual acuity was 2.49% (134/5390) and 10.71% (577/5390) respectively. The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment was higher in aged (trend χ(2) = 951.32, P = 0.000) , female (χ(2) = 33.35, P = 0.000) and illiterate (trend χ(2) equals; 141.32, P = 0.000) persons. Cataract was still the first leading cause of blindness and visual impairment.Un-corrected refractive error also was the main cause of visual impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment is relatively higher among older adults aged 50 years or above in Yongchuan District. The first leading cause of blindness and visual impairment is still cataract.
authors: Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors: Zheng-qin
authors: ZQ
authors: Yin
authors: Email: zhjialiang@163.com.
authors: Jia-liang
authors: JL
authors: Zhao
authors: Ping-hua
authors: PH
authors: Li
authors: Leon b
authors: Lb
authors: Ellwein
authors: Sheng-fang
authors: SF
authors: Song
authors: Fu-liang
authors: FL
authors: Li
authors: Ting-gang
authors: TG
authors: Wang
authors: Yi-ming
authors: YM
authors: Ren
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Yang
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Xue-cheng
authors: XC
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*