title: Prevalence of blindness and causes of visual impairment among adults aged 50 years or above in southern. Jiangsu Province of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of blindness and low vision among adults aged ≥50 years in southern Jiangsu Province were surveyed and estimated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cluster sampling was employed from January to September 2010 to randomly select 6,722 individuals aged ≥50 years in 28 clusters from southern Jiangsu Province. The survey was preceded by a pilot study, which refined operational methods and conducted quality assurance evaluation. Eligible individuals were registered for visual acuity measurement and eye examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6,155 individuals were recruited, and a response rate of 91.50% was obtained. The prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision were found to be 0.76% and 1.37%, respectively. Subjects with monocular blindness and low vision were 3.27% and 3.48%, respectively. Among the individuals evaluated, 201 were detected to have monocular blindness and 47 with bilateral blindness. In addition, 55 of the 201 subjects with monocular blindness were found to suffer from low vision of the other eye. Among the 295 subjects with blind eyes, 116 (39.32%), 31 (10.51%), and 28 (9.49%) were caused by cataract, high myopia macular degeneration, and atrophic eyeballs, respectively. In the 437 subjects with low-vision eyes, 223 (51.03%), 41 (9.38%), and 41 (9.38%) had cataract, high myopia macular degeneration, and age-related macular degeneration, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blindness and low vision are caused by descending cataract, age-related macular degeneration, high myopia macular degeneration, and atrophic eyeballs.
authors.affiliation: Yong Yao, Orthopedics Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine University,Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Jun Shao, Department of Ophthalmology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated the Wuxi People's Hospital, Qing Yang Road 299, Wuxi 214023, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Wei Sun, Department of Ophthalmology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Daoqian Road 26, Suzhou 215008, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jing Zhu, Department of Ophthalmology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated the Wuxi People's Hospital, Qing Yang Road 299, Wuxi 214023, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Dong Hong Fu, Department of Ophthalmology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated the Wuxi People's Hospital, Qing Yang Road 299, Wuxi 214023, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hong Fu
authors.affiliation: Huaijing Guan, Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
authors.forename: Huaijing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Qinghuai Liu, Orthopedics Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine University,Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qinghuai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Blindness; Epidemiology; Eye diseases; Low Vision