Prevalence and Causes of Avoidable Blindness in Subjects Over 50 Years of Age in Honduras

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the prevalence and causes of avoidable blindness in people aged 50 and over in the areas of influence of doctors in social service during the years 2018–2019.
 Methods: This observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study, with analysis of association of variables, was conducted on patients 50 years and older at the national level, selected under simple random sampling, where sociodemographic variables, background, and clinical characteristics were studied. An ophthalmological clinical examination was performed with prior informed consent, and the information was processed and analyzed using Epi Info 7.2 statistical package and SPSS version 25.
 Results: Overall, 7992 people were evaluated, with a mean age of 62 years; 60.8% (4861) were women and 39.2% (3131) were men. The prevalence of blindness for both eyes was 4.5% (356/7992, 95% CI: 4.1–5.1%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of severe and moderate visual impairment was 1.5% (118/127) and 12.9% (1029)/12.6% (1004) for the right and left eyes, respectively. The main causes of blindness were cataract, refractive error, and glaucoma.
 Conclusion: The prevalence of avoidable blindness found in the study was higher than expected and the respective causes were consistent with previous studies. Consequently, it is recommended to implement health policies aimed at the prevention and management of avoidable blindness.

Mapping Human Resources to Guide Ophthalmology Capacity-Building Projects in Honduras: Sub-national Analyses of Physician Distribution and Surgical Practices

“…Like many developing countries, Honduras has a large population that suffers from vision impairment and blindness due to cataracts. A 2022 population-based study estimated a blindness prevalence of 4.5% among Hondurans aged 60 years or older [10], and the burden of blindness and visual impairment in Honduras is projected to increase as the population ages over the next 30 years [11]. Despite the clear need for ophthalmologic care, Honduras had the lowest CSR of all 19 Latin American countries at 750 surgeries per million per year in 2008 [12].…”