Causes of permanent severe visual impairment and blindness among Jordanian population

Baarah, Basel T.; Shatnawi, Raed; Khatatbeh, Ahmed E.

doi:10.4103/meajo.meajo_202_16

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Retinitis pigmentosa was the most common issue within retinal diseases, affecting 24.5% of patients. This is compatible with a Jordanian study that discussed the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness and found that retinitis pigmentosa was the most common cause of severe visual impairment among adults (29.7%), followed by diabetic retinopathy (19.9%) and glaucoma (15.8%) [50]. A study done by Mohidin and Yusof found that retinitis pigmentosa caused the highest percentage of the ocular pathologies for patients aged between 30-59 years old, followed by macular dystrophy and diabetic retinopathy [26].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Low Vision Profile in Jordan: A Vision Rehabilitation Center-Based Study

et al. 2020

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The aim of this paper is to study the profile of persons with low vision in Jordan based on the clinical records of service users who attended the Vision Rehabilitation Center (VRC) at the German Jordanian University (GJU). A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the archived data for persons with low vision attending the VRC over the period September 2012 to December 2017. The information collected included age, gender, referral, geographical distribution, chief functional visual problems, and ocular pathology. The records of 725 (28.9 ± 20.3 years old) persons out of 858 persons were analyzed. Almost half (50.6%) of the sample was less than 18 years old. The main cause of the low vision was retinal diseases (53.4%), followed by albinism. Gender and age showed no significant influence on ocular pathology distribution. For the referrals, ophthalmologists (37.8%) were the largest source of referral, followed by institutions for people with disabilities (14.9%). Near tasks were reported as the main functional problems for patients with low vision (74.9%), followed by distance tasks (8.3%). This study sets a precedent for determining the characteristics of persons with low vision in Jordan. Developing an efficient referral system between eye health care professionals and other health caregivers is important to ensure the best multidisciplinary services for low vision.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Low Vision Profile in Jordan: A Vision Rehabilitation Center-Based Study

et al. 2020

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“…Our findings rhyme with previous reports of causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in the country, again genetic diseases like retinitis pigmentosa being front and centre, followed by diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. 31 Glatz et al published an excellent report about blindness and visual impairment in central Europe. Their findings showed that among the working-age adults and children in Austria, inherited retinal and choroidal diseases were the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness, drawing attention to further research in emerging treatments for those diseases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Visual Impairment and the Impact of Low Vision Assessment in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Jordan

Abu-Yaghi¹,

Meqbil²,

Sharif³

et al. 2022

OPTO

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Purpose This project aims to describe the characteristics of patients with visual impairment referred from a tertiary academic hospital in Jordan for a comprehensive low vision evaluation and to study its impact on their functional needs. Methods A retrospective analysis of the records of 108 patients from the ophthalmology clinic at Jordan University Hospital over the period from January 2014 to December 2018 was performed. Gathered information included age, gender, clinical diagnosis, family history of ocular disease, and type of low vision aid prescribed and its impact on patients’ functional needs. Results The mean age was 44.64 years (range 4–88). Most participants were in the 19–60 years age group (50.0%). Fifty percent of the participants were the offspring of consanguineous marriages. The main cause of visual impairment in this cohort was retinitis pigmentosa, followed by diabetic retinopathy. The majority of low vision aids were prescribed for near distance tasks, and reading spectacles were the most prescribed visual aid. Eighty-nine percent of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up. Conclusion Retinitis pigmentosa was the main cause of visual impairment in this cohort of patients referred from a tertiary academic hospital for low vision assessment. We report a consanguinity rate of 50%. The overwhelming majority of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up. Awareness and integration of low vision services into a multidisciplinary approach and improving referral protocols is essential to better address the needs of patients with visual impairment. Familial counselling regarding consanguineous marriages and emerging research to treat inherited retinal diseases should be pursued.

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“…8,9 Later studies from Kuwait, Lebanon, and Jordan support the same fact. 3,10,11 This might be explained the effort made by the government to treat infectious and other treatable eye diseases while consanguinity is still prevalent in the Saudi culture.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Visual Impairment and Blindness in Saudi Arabia’s School for the Blind: A Cross-Sectional Study</p>

Alabdulwahhab

Ahmad

2020

OPTO

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Aim: Visual impairment and blindness are important global health issues as they are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and decreased quality of life, leading to substantial economic loss and productivity. There are only a few published articles on vision impairment and blindness in Saudi Arabia to compare the range of estimated global prevalence of low vision, blindness, and their causes. This study aims to find out the important causes of vision impairment and blindness in schools for the blind in Qassim province, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the blind schools in Buraidah city of Qassim province. A total of 278 registered cases were included in this study using a systematic random sampling of registered cases. Based on the definitions, the cases were classified as having vision impairment and/or blindness. The data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS 25. Results: The mean age was 30 years (range: 6 to 83 years) and 174 (76.4%) were males and 84 (32.6%) being females. The male:female ratio was 2:1. All the respondents were of Saudi ethnicity. Mild to moderate visual impairment was found in 6%, severe visual impairment in 27%, and blindness was seen in 64% of registered cases. The causes of blindness in these registered cases from blind school were retinitis pigmentosa (26%), optic atrophy (16%), glaucoma (7%), head trauma (6%), nystagmus (6%), retinopathy of prematurity (6%), ocular albinism (4%), corneal opacities (4%), amblyopia (3%) and other causes (22%). Overall, retinal disorders (retinitis pigmentosa and retinopathy of prematurity) were the leading causes of disability followed by optic atrophy. Conclusion: The findings of this study are useful in planning and implementing screening programs in this area for early identification and corrections, thus preventing permanent loss of sight.

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Causes of permanent severe visual impairment and blindness among Jordanian population

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

Low Vision Profile in Jordan: A Vision Rehabilitation Center-Based Study

Low Vision Profile in Jordan: A Vision Rehabilitation Center-Based Study

Characteristics of Visual Impairment and the Impact of Low Vision Assessment in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Jordan

<p>Visual Impairment and Blindness in Saudi Arabia’s School for the Blind: A Cross-Sectional Study</p>

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