title: Ocular health assessment of cocoa farmers in a rural community in Ghana.
abstract: Cocoa farming provides employment for over 800,000 households in rural Ghana, with the country currently touted as the second largest producer of cocoa worldwide. Agriculture is one of the riskiest occupations for the eyes due to the numerous ocular hazards on farms. The authors conducted an ocular health assessment among cocoa farmers at Mfuom, a rural community in the Central Region of Ghana, to examine the ocular health status and the ocular safety measures used by cocoa farmers. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate demographic characteristics, ocular injuries, and utilization of eye care services and ocular protection, and a clinical examination was used to evaluate their ocular status. Cocoa farmers were at high risk for ocular injuries and farm-related vision disorders and utilized eye care services and ocular protection poorly. Ocular condition identified were mainly refractive error (28.6%), cataract (20.0%), glaucoma (11.7%), conjunctivitis (13%), pterygium (2.7%), and cornea opacity (2.2%). There is a need for the introduction of an interventional eye care program to help address the ocular health challenges identified among the farmers. This can be done through collaborative efforts by educational institutions, government, and other role players in the agricultural industry to improve the quality of life of the vulnerable cocoa farmers in rural Ghana.
authors.affiliation: a Discipline of Optometry, School of Health Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa .
authors.forename: Samuel Bert
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Boadi-Kusi
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hansraj
authors.forename: Akwasi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumi-Kyereme
authors.forename: Khathutshelo Percy
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Mashige
authors.forename: Kofi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Awusabo-Asare
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ocansey
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000383:Agriculture; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002099:Cacao; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005135:Eye Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012423:Rural Health; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cocoa farmers; eye conditions; health-seeking behavior; ocular health; protective eye wear