title: Population-based assessment of visual impairment among ethnic Dai adults in a rural community in China.
abstract: Dai ethnicity is one of the major Chinese ethnic minorities with a population of about 1.2 million. We aimed to determine the prevalence and potential causes of visual impairment (VI) among ethnic Dai adults aged 50 years or older in a rural community in China. A population-based survey including 2163 ethnic Dai people (80.5%) was undertaken using a random cluster sampling strategy. The detailed eye examination was performed after pupil dilation by trained study ophthalmologists and optometrists. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study logMAR chart and VI was defined as a VA of less than 20/63 in the better-seeing eye. The overall prevalence of presenting blindness and low vision was 3.0% (95% CI, 2.3-3.7) and 13.3% (95% CI, 11.9-14.8), respectively. The prevalence estimates were reduced to 2.1% (95% CI, 1.5-2.8) and 6.7% (95% CI, 5.7-7.8) when BCVA was considered. Men were more likely to be affected by low vision but less likely to be blind compared with women. Cataract accounted for 62.7% of presenting low vision and 68.8% of presenting blindness, respectively. In conclusion, VI was a significant health concern in Dai Chinese in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Deng-Juan
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yuansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity