PREVALENCE OF BLINDNESS AND CATARACT-SURGERY IN SHUNYI COUNTY, CHINA

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of blindness and cataract surgery among older adults in rural China. METHODS: Cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting men and women aged 50 years or older for visual acuity testing and an eye examination in 28 villages in Shunyi County. The survey, which was carried out in the fall of 1996, was preceded b y a pilot study in which operational methods were refined and quality assurance evaluations carried out. RESULTS: Of 5,555 enumerated subjec ts greater than or equal to 50 years of age, 91.5% (5,084 /5,555) were examined and 90.9% (5,052/5,555) were tested for visual acuity. In th is population, 2.8% (139/5,052) were blind, defined as presenting visu al acuity less than 6/60 in both eyes. Blindness was associated with o lder age and female sex. Cataract was the principal cause of blindness in at least one eye in 48.2% (67/139) of blind people. The ratio of t hose blind from cataract who were operated on to the those who could h ave been operated on, cataract surgical coverage, was estimated to be 47.8% (54/113), Cataract surgery was associated with younger age but n ot sex or education. CONCLUSIONS: Blindness, particularly blindness re lated to cataract, continues to be a significant problem among the eld erly, especially women, in this population-based sample of rural Chine se. Despite an active eye-care program in Shunyi County, only half of those who might benefit from cataract surgery are receiving it. (Am J Ophthalmol 1998; 126:506-514. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All ri ghts reserved.).