Prevalence, causes and factors associated with vision impairment in Limpopo province

Background: Epidemiological data on the prevalence, causes and risk factors associated with vision impairment (VI) is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of eye care services.Aim: To determine the prevalence, causes and factors associated with VI among patients presenting to public hospitals of Limpopo province, South Africa.Setting: This study was conducted in public hospitals.Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients seen from April 2019 to March 2022 in 29 public hospitals was conducted. The following information was extracted: demographic information, medical history, visual acuity (VA), refractive and ophthalmoscopy findings.Results: Of the 1140 participants, 56.1% were women. Participants’ ages ranged from 5 to 94 years. The prevalence of VI was 61.5%. Most had moderate-severe VI (57.3%), followed by blindness (22.7%) and mild VI (20.0%). The leading causes of VI were uncorrected refractive error (URE) (28.1%), cataract (26.0%) and glaucoma (25.0%). The main causes of blindness were glaucoma (42.8%) and cataract (32.1%); while URE (7.5%), retinal anomalies (7.5%) and corneal anomalies (6.9%) accounted for almost equal proportions of blindness. Participants aged 50–64 years (odds ratio [OR]: 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–2.6); 65 years and older (OR: 6.6; 95% CI: 4.3–10.2); and those diagnosed with systemic hypertension (OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.9–3.2) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.9–4.4) had increased risk of VI.Conclusion: The prevalence of VI in this population is relatively high. The main causes of VI are correctable, suggesting the need for improved measures to prevent avoidable VI.Contribution: The study addresses the gap in the province’s current prevalence, causes and factors related to VI.