Prevalence Of Blindness And Low-vision In Residents In The Aged Apartment Houses, Urumchi

Objective Visual impairment has already been a serious public health problem in worldwide.So,it is very important to facilitate reduction of the blindness.To investigate the morbidities of low vision and blindness and the leading cause of blindness in residents aged≥50 years in aged apartment house, Urumchi. Methods Cluster sampling was used to select 19 enrolled aged apartment houses in Urumchi,in which all residents aged≥50 years were visited. The vision archives were first stablished for total old residents·The visual acuity without correction and the presenting acuity with the participants' habitual distance correction were measured separately for each eye. In individuals with visual acuity less than 0.7, pinhole visual acuity was tested with pinhole spectacle. The pinhole visual acuity was recorded and classified under WHO grading system·Assigned ophthalmologic doctors assured the leading blind causes of every blind person.Results Prevalence of blindness and low vision:The prevalence of bilateral blindness,bilateral low vision,unilateral blindness,unilateral low vision was 6.9%(95%CI:9.2~4.6 %),8.4%(95%CI:10.89~5.9%),14.9%(95%CI: 18.1~11.7%),12.0% (95%CI: 14.9~9.1%) respectively.According to the presenting visual acuity and visual impairment criterion(blindness;Less than 0.1 in both eyes),the prevalence of visual impairment?Single blindness?light blindness and serious blindness was17.1% ?15.4 %?2.9% and 6.9% respectively.(95%CI20.5~13.7% ?18.7~12.2%?4.4~1.4%and9.2~4.6%. The pre- valence of The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment was raised with increasing age. The leading causes of blindness were cataract, ocular fundus diseases, refractive errors, and corneal opacity.Conclusions The leading cause of blindness was cataract.So,prevention of blindness caused by cataract will still be a main issue. The morbidity of fundus diseases is increasing,and it show the way of prevention of blindness.As the prevalence of blindness and low vision increasing with age,the older should be the more important protection crowd.Especially the Females and illiteracy were more likely to have blindness and low vision than that of males and literate.