Prevalence And Associated Factors of Visual Impairment Among Individuals Aged 40 Years and Above in the Selected Military Hospitals.
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Date
2025-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Visual impairment among older age groups is a significant public health
concern. Studies indicate that approximately 10-20% of individuals aged 40 years and older
experience some form of visual impairment globally. Visual impairment is influenced by age
related conditions, lifestyle factors, diabetes, hypertension, education, and occupational
exposure to visual stressors, with older adults at higher risk due to natural aging and lifestyle
changes.
Objectives: to assess prevalence and associated factors of visual impairment among
individuals aged 40 years and above in the selected military hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
2025.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected hospitals from January 20 to
February 20, 2025, involving 213 participants. Data was collected through structured
questionnaires and vision assessment tools. Descriptive analysis summarized demographic
characteristics, while chi-square tests assessed associations between variables and visual
impairment. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant
predictors. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The study involved 213 participants, 100% response rate, aged 40-92 years, with a
mean age of 56 and a median of 53.6%. 63% were men, and 46.5% were retired. Most lived in
urban areas, with 193 (90.6%) in urban areas. The study found that 33.8% of participants had
cataracts, with hypertension(29.1%) and diabetes(25.8%) being other chronic conditions.
48.4% had normal vision, and 46.9% had their eyes examined in the current year. The overall
prevalence of visual impairment among participants aged 40 and above was found to be 51.6%,
age, cataracts, glaucoma, refractive errors (RE), diabetes mellitus (DM), difficulties in
watching television, and cigarette smoking were significantly associated with the occurrence
of VI.
Conclusion:. The study identified several significant factors associated with visual
impairment, including age, cataracts, glaucoma, refractive errors (RE), diabetes mellitus (DM),
difficulties in watching television, and cigarette smoking. These findings highlight the critical
need for targeted interventions and comprehensive eye care strategies for this demographic.
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Keywords
Prevalence, Visual impairment and associated factors