NJ Uche|Ifeoma Ezegwui|Enoch Uche|Ernest Onwasigwe|R E Umeh|Chika Onwasigwe
Prevalence of presbyopia in a rural African community
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
presbyopia loss accommodation crystalline lens increasing age sets near work becomes associated headache eye strain reading writing become challenge literacy levels may low rural communities nevertheless work reading like sewing sorting stone grain operating mobile phones done dissatisfaction study aims determine prevalence presbyopia unmet presbyopia need presbyopia correction coverage rural african communitya populationbased crosssectional study carried rural population aged 35 years greater selected cluster random sampling information sought biodata participants subsequently examined distance visual acuity participant determined anterior posterior segments eyes examined objective refraction subjective refinement done subjects distant visual acuity less 66 near visual acuity assessed 40 cm distant correction place required presbyopia defined inability read n8 40 cm requiring addition least 100ds improve near vision least n8 questionnaires administered identified presbyopic source procurement spectacles one reasons nonprocurement presbyopic spectacles also asked rate difficulty various listed near work data entry analysis done using statistical package social sciences v160 program epidemiologist v401 softwarea total 585 subjects participation rate 811 aged 35 years greater interviewed examined prevalence presbyopia 634 95 confidence interval ci 626642 increasing prevalence increasing age met presbyopia need 176 unmet need 458 presbyopic correction coverage 278 commonest reasons procuring presbyopic correction priority 215 cost 212the prevalence presbyopia rural african community high many need presbyopic correction corrective spectacles