Prevalence of Vision Impairment in Older Adults in Rural China in 2014 and Comparisons With the 2006 China Nine-Province Survey

Abstract

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of vision impairment and blindness in 2014 among older adults in rural China with comparisons with the 2006 Nine-Province Survey. DESIGN: Population-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Geographical cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting residents from a rural county or semi-rural district within 9 provinces: Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hebei, Ningxia, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Persons 50 years of age or older were enumerated through household visits and invited to examination sites for visual acuity testing and examination. Vision impairment and blindness in 2014 was compared with data from the 2006 survey. RESULTS: Among 51 310 examined persons, the prevalence of presenting vision impairment (<20/63 to ≥20/400) in the better-seeing eye ranged from 6.05% to 15.3% across the 9 study sites, with presenting blindness (<20/400) ranging from 0.66% to 5.35%. With best-corrected visual acuity, the prevalence of vision impairment ranged from 1.96% to 8.74%, and blindness from 0.47% to 5.01%. Vision impairment was associated with older age, female sex, and little or no education. The overall prevalence of presenting vision impairment and blindness decreased during the 2006–2014 interval by 6.31% and 29.0%, respectively; and by 16.1% and 38.0%, respectively, after standardization of 2006 prevalence rates to the 2014 population. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial progress has been made in the reduction of vision impairment in rural China. Nevertheless, vision impairment remains an important public health problem with substantial geographic disparities and with older age, female sex, and illiteracy as risk factors.

Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in Chinese American Adults

“…The WHO defines VI as a BCVA of less than 20/63 but greater than or equal to 20/400. Non-US studies [8][9][10][11][12][13]15 and US studies 6,7 have used this criterion.…”

Demographic and clinical characteristics of a paediatric low vision population in a low vision clinic in China

“…For instance, the cataract surgery rate in China is far below the average level in developed countries and is even lower than in some developing countries such as India. Rehabilitation for millions of patients with visual impairment is a long way off . In China, some blind children were sent to the local blind school but they are only a small part of the paediatric low vision population.…”

“…Rehabilitation for millions of patients with visual impairment is a long way off. 13 In China, some blind children were sent to the local blind school but they are only a small part of the paediatric low vision population.…”

Incidence and correction of vision impairment among elderly population in southern urban China

“…With the ever‐growing aging population, VI and blindness is projected to pose enormous social and economic burdens to the whole society, especially in developing and populous countries . Reported prevalence of VI in adults ranged from 2.9% to 15.8% in China . However, information on the incidence of VI in China, an essential knowledge for estimating the demand in the community in the perspective of future public health planning, is still limited …”

“…5,6 Reported prevalence of VI in adults ranged from 2.9% to 15.8% in China. [7][8][9] However, information on Xiaotong Han and Chimei Liao contributed equally to this work. the incidence of VI in China, an essential knowledge for estimating the demand in the community in the perspective of future public health planning, is still limited.…”