Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries
OBJECTIVE: To review data on functional low vision (FLV) (low vision-visual acuity (VA) < 6/18 (<20/60) to > perception of light (PL+) in the better eye-that is untreatable and uncorrectable) in adults aged 50 years or older from published population-based surveys from 15 countries in Latin...
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Pan American Health Organization
2015
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:bb4a473d79de4afba388b819d8644fb2 2023-05-15T15:19:07+02:00 Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries Hans Limburg Rosario Espinoza Van C. Lansingh Juan Carlos Silva 2015-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/bb4a473d79de4afba388b819d8644fb2 EN ES PT eng spa por Pan American Health Organization http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892015000500001&lng=en&tlng=en https://doaj.org/toc/1020-4989 1020-4989 https://doaj.org/article/bb4a473d79de4afba388b819d8644fb2 Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, Vol 37, Iss 6, Pp 371-378 (2015) Salud ocular baja visión estudios transversales planificación en salud Argentina Brasil Chile Cuba Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras México Panamá Paraguay Perú República Dominicana Uruguay Venezuela América Latina Región del Caribe Medicine R Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2015 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-31T12:36:05Z OBJECTIVE: To review data on functional low vision (FLV) (low vision-visual acuity (VA) < 6/18 (<20/60) to > perception of light (PL+) in the better eye-that is untreatable and uncorrectable) in adults aged 50 years or older from published population-based surveys from 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS: Data from 15 cross-sectional, population-based surveys on blindness and visual impairment (10 national and five subnational) covering 55 643 people > 50 years old in 15 countries from 2003 to 2013 were reanalyzed to extract statistics on FLV. Eleven of the studies used the rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) method and four used the rapid assessment of cataract surgical services (RACSS) method. For the 10 national surveys, age-and sex-specific prevalence of FLV was extrapolated against the corresponding population to estimate the total number of people > 50 years old with FLV. RESULTS: Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of FLV in people > 50 years old ranged from 0.9% (Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay) to 2.2% (Brazil and Cuba) and increased by age. The weighted average prevalence for the 10 national surveys was 1.6%: 1.4% in men and 1.8% in women. For all 10 national studies, a total of 509 164 people > 50 years old were estimated to have FLV. Based on the 910 individuals affected, the main causes of FLV were age-related macular degeneration (weighted average prevalence of 26%), glaucoma (23%), diabetic retinopathy (19%), other posterior segment disease (15%), non-trachomatous corneal opacities (7%), and complications after cataract surgery (4%). CONCLUSIONS: FLV is expected to rise because of 1) the exponential increase of this condition by age, 2) increased life expectancy, and 3) the increase in people > 50 years old. These data can be helpful in planning and developing low vision services for the region; large countries such as Brazil and Mexico would need more studies. Prevention is a major strategy to reduce FLV, as more than 50% of it is preventable. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Baja Argentina Uruguay |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English Spanish Portuguese |
topic |
Salud ocular baja visión estudios transversales planificación en salud Argentina Brasil Chile Cuba Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras México Panamá Paraguay Perú República Dominicana Uruguay Venezuela América Latina Región del Caribe Medicine R Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
spellingShingle |
Salud ocular baja visión estudios transversales planificación en salud Argentina Brasil Chile Cuba Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras México Panamá Paraguay Perú República Dominicana Uruguay Venezuela América Latina Región del Caribe Medicine R Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Hans Limburg Rosario Espinoza Van C. Lansingh Juan Carlos Silva Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
topic_facet |
Salud ocular baja visión estudios transversales planificación en salud Argentina Brasil Chile Cuba Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras México Panamá Paraguay Perú República Dominicana Uruguay Venezuela América Latina Región del Caribe Medicine R Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
OBJECTIVE: To review data on functional low vision (FLV) (low vision-visual acuity (VA) < 6/18 (<20/60) to > perception of light (PL+) in the better eye-that is untreatable and uncorrectable) in adults aged 50 years or older from published population-based surveys from 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS: Data from 15 cross-sectional, population-based surveys on blindness and visual impairment (10 national and five subnational) covering 55 643 people > 50 years old in 15 countries from 2003 to 2013 were reanalyzed to extract statistics on FLV. Eleven of the studies used the rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) method and four used the rapid assessment of cataract surgical services (RACSS) method. For the 10 national surveys, age-and sex-specific prevalence of FLV was extrapolated against the corresponding population to estimate the total number of people > 50 years old with FLV. RESULTS: Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of FLV in people > 50 years old ranged from 0.9% (Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay) to 2.2% (Brazil and Cuba) and increased by age. The weighted average prevalence for the 10 national surveys was 1.6%: 1.4% in men and 1.8% in women. For all 10 national studies, a total of 509 164 people > 50 years old were estimated to have FLV. Based on the 910 individuals affected, the main causes of FLV were age-related macular degeneration (weighted average prevalence of 26%), glaucoma (23%), diabetic retinopathy (19%), other posterior segment disease (15%), non-trachomatous corneal opacities (7%), and complications after cataract surgery (4%). CONCLUSIONS: FLV is expected to rise because of 1) the exponential increase of this condition by age, 2) increased life expectancy, and 3) the increase in people > 50 years old. These data can be helpful in planning and developing low vision services for the region; large countries such as Brazil and Mexico would need more studies. Prevention is a major strategy to reduce FLV, as more than 50% of it is preventable. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hans Limburg Rosario Espinoza Van C. Lansingh Juan Carlos Silva |
author_facet |
Hans Limburg Rosario Espinoza Van C. Lansingh Juan Carlos Silva |
author_sort |
Hans Limburg |
title |
Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
title_short |
Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
title_full |
Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
title_fullStr |
Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
title_sort |
functional low vision in adults from latin america: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries |
publisher |
Pan American Health Organization |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/bb4a473d79de4afba388b819d8644fb2 |
geographic |
Arctic Baja Argentina Uruguay |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Baja Argentina Uruguay |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, Vol 37, Iss 6, Pp 371-378 (2015) |
op_relation |
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892015000500001&lng=en&tlng=en https://doaj.org/toc/1020-4989 1020-4989 https://doaj.org/article/bb4a473d79de4afba388b819d8644fb2 |
_version_ |
1766349299250102272 |