Tafida Abubakar|Fatima Kyari|Mohammed M Abdull|Sudhakar Selvaraj|G. V. S. Murthy|I Kana|Clare Gilbert
Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital|University of Abuja|Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|Federal Ministry of Health|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
poverty cause consequence blindness causes affect poorest communities eg trachoma poor individuals less likely access services low income countries cataract blind adults shown less economically active indicating blindness exacerbate poverty study aims explore associations poverty blindness using national survey data nigeriaparticipants 40 years examined 305 clusters 20052007 sociodemographic information including literacy occupation obtained interview presenting visual acuity pva assessed using reduced tumbling e logmar chart full ocular examination undertaken experienced ophthalmologists pva 612 either eye causes vision loss determined using world health organization guidelines households categorized three levels poverty based literacy occupation household levela total 56913591 participants blind pva 360 better eye prevalence 42 95 confidence interval ci 3846 prevalences blindness 85 95 ci 7795 25 95 ci 2031 15 95 ci 1220 poorest medium affluent households respectively p 0001 causespecific prevalences blindness cataract glaucoma uncorrected aphakia corneal opacities significantly higher poorer households cataract surgical coverage low 372 lowest females poor households 253 spectacle coverage 3 times lower poor affluent households 24 vs 75in nigeria blindness associated poverty part reflecting lower access services reducing avoidable causes achieved unless access services improves particularly poor women