33
Views
8
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Paper

Rapid assessment of refractive error in the eThekwini Municipality of KwaZulu‐Natal, Durban, South Africa

, PhD MPH OD, , PhD DO, , MSc DO & , PhD DO
Pages 360-365 | Received 14 Nov 2014, Accepted 04 Dec 2015, Published online: 15 Apr 2021
 

Abstract

Background

Population‐based studies involving refractive error in South Africa are few because they are expensive to conduct and require a high level of expertise. Rapid assessment of refractive error (RARE) is a relatively less resource‐intensive method designed to assess the magnitude of uncorrected refractive error (URE), spectacle coverage and barriers to access of services. This information is useful for designing and implementing programs as well as for policy development.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error and spectacle coverage and to explore the barriers to uptake of refractive services in persons 15 to 35-years old in the eThekwini municipality, Durban, South Africa.

Methods

A cross‐sectional epidemiological study was conducted using the RARE protocol. A total of 1,543 participants were enumerated and 1,516 were examined. Uncorrected refractive error was defined as presenting visual acuity less than 6/12 that could be corrected to 6/12 or better using a pinhole. Spectacle coverage was defined as the proportion of need that was already met with spectacle correction.

Results

The prevalence of age and sex adjusted URE was 1.5% (95 per cent CI: 0.7 –2.3). Odds for uncorrected refractive error in women were 0.5 (95 per cent CI: 0.3‐0.9) lower compared to men. There was a statistically significant association between uncorrected refractive error and respondents 15 to 24-years old (p < 0.001). The spectacle coverage (6/12 cut‐off) was 51.4 per cent (95 per cent CI: 28.1–74.7). The prevalence of spectacle use among participants was 3.8 per cent.

Conclusions

The low prevalence of uncorrected refractive error found in this study agrees with previous studies that indicate that despite uncorrected refractive error being the most common cause of visual impairment and the second most common cause of blindness worldwide, its prevalence is relatively low in South Africans.

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their thanks to the Department of Health and local councillors, eThekwini Municipality, the Brien Holden Vision Institute and all individuals who participated in the project.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 65.00 Add to cart

Purchase Issue

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 84.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.