EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF OCULAR MORBIDITY IN RURAL CENTRAL INDIA: A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

Ocular morbid conditions are responsible for partial or total blindness. Ocular morbidities by its sheer magnitude form an enormous problem, not only in human suffering, but also in terms of economical loss and social burden. OBJECTIVE: To study some epidemiological determinants of ocular morbidities in rural area. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Present Community Based Cross-Sectional Study Was Undertaken In Rural Area Of Hingna,Nagpur District.This Study Was Carried Out In 194 Families With 925 Study Subjects During February 2005-December 2005. Diagnosis of Ocular Morbid Condition Was Based on Standard Clinical Definitions and International Classification of Diseases-10 (Icd-10).Both Eyes Were Examined and All the Relevant Clinical Findings Were Recorded in Predesigned Proforma. RESULTS: The results revealed, overall prevalence of ocular morbidity was 32.11%. Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption habits were found in statistically significant (p<0.05) association with ocular morbidity when compared with no habit .In female 53.71 % of ocular morbid conditions were found in those biomass as cooking fuel. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of ocular morbidities were found in rural areas of central India with greater predominance among lower socioeconomic strata and study subjects with tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption habits and in females predominantly using biomass as cooking fuel.