Background: Falls are a common public health problem amongst the elderly in many communities. There is a need for information on the causes as well as the impact of this preventable risk on health among the elderly in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: To examine the prevalence and factors associated with falls among a population of elderly persons in Nigeria. Methods: A multi-stage stratified sampling of households was implemented to select persons aged 65 years and older in the south-western and north-central parts of Nigeria (n = 2,096). Respondents were asked about the occurrence, number, and consequences of falls in the previous 12 months. They were also assessed for the presence of vision impairment, chronic pain and medical conditions. Results: Falls were reported by 23% (n = 482) of the sample. Females (24.0%) were more likely than males (17.9%) to report falls. Respondents with chronic pain conditions, especially those with arthritis, and those with insomnia were at increased risk for falls. Among fallers, females were more likely than males to sustain injuries, including fractures (45.0 vs. 30.1%; p = 0.001). Persons with near vision impairment were less prone to serious falls with injuries than those with no visual impairment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Falls are an important health problem among elderly Nigerians. A fall prevention program must have a particular focus on females, those with chronic pain conditions and those experiencing insomnia.

Impairment of vision is associated with significant decrement in diverse areas of quality of life in this elderly sample. Problems with near vision were nevertheless more likely than those of distant vision to affect quality of life.

BackgroundLow vision is an important public health problem; however, very few low vision clinics are available to address the needs of low vision patients in most developing countries. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients attending the low vision clinic of a Nigerian tertiary hospital.MethodsThis was a prospective cross sectional study of all new patients seen at the low vision clinic over a 36 month period. Patients were administered with a structured questionnaire, and were examined and tested with low vision devices by the attending low vision specialist. Information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients was recorded.ResultsA total of 193 new patients seen during the period were studied. The mean age was 41.4 years, and their ages ranged between 6 and 90 years with a male to female ratio of 1.9:1. Majority (58%) were aged below 50 years, 23.3% were children (≤15 years), while 21.8% were elderly patients (≥65 years). The commonest cause of low vision was retinitis pigmentosa (16.6%); 14.5% had age related macular degeneration (ARMD); 9.8% had albinism; while only 1% had diabetic retinopathy. ARMD (45.2%) was the commonest cause in the elderly patients, while albinism (24.4%) and optic atrophy (24.4%) were the commonest in children.ConclusionThe demographic and clinical characteristics of low vision patients seen in this clinic are similar to that of patients in other developing countries, but different from those in developed countries. Elderly patients and females may be under-utilising low vision services. There is a need for further research into the determinants of low vision service utilisation in developing countries. This would further aid the planning and delivery of services to low vision patients in these countries.

The findings of this study suggest that a significant proportion of welders in Ile-Ife were not utilizing protective eye device. Health education and awareness campaigns about the importance and benefits of utilizing protective eye devices are recommended.