title: Prevalence of blindness and cataract surgical outcomes in Takeo Province, Cambodia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of blindness and cataract surgical outcomes in persons 50 years or older above in Takeo Province, Cambodia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population based survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 93 villages were selected through probability proportionate to size using the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness methodology. Households from 93 villages were selected using compact segment sampling. Visual acuity (VA) of 4650 people 50 years or older was tested and lens status and cause of visual impairment were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 96.2%. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness [presenting visual acuity (PVA) <3/60 in the better eye] was 3.4% (95% confidence interval, 2.8%-4.0%), resulting in an estimated 4187 people blind in Takeo Province. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of low vision (PVA <6/18 to 3/60) was 21.1%, an estimated 25,900 people. Cataract surgical coverage in the bilaterally blind was 64.7% (female 59.5%, male 78.1%). Cataract surgical outcome was poor (best-corrected visual acuity <6/60) in only 7.7% and good in 88.7% (best-corrected visual acuity ≥6/18) of eyes operated in the last 5 years before the survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cataract surgical coverage for women is less than that for men. The increased life expectancy in Cambodia and the fact that women constitute 60.6% of the population (aged ≥50 years) at Takeo Province could have had an impact on cataract workload and high prevalence of blindness. A repeated survey using the same methodology after 8-12 years might be helpful in proving genuine change over time.
authors.affiliation: From the *CARITAS Takeo Eye Hospital, Takeo, Cambodia; †Christian Blind Mission, Bensheim, Germany; ‡Center for Eye Research Australia, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; §Faculty of Education and Science, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia; ¶National Program for Eye Health, Ministry of Health; and ∥Department of Ophthalmology, Preah Ang Duong Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and **LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mörchen
authors.forename: Toby
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Langdon
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ormsby
authors.forename: Ngy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Do
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seiha
authors.forename: Kong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piseth
authors.forename: Jill E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Keeffe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014786:Vision Disorders; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data