Papua New Guinea vision-specific quality of life questionnaire: A new patient-reported outcome instrument to assess the impact of impaired vision

Background: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new vision-specific quality of life (VS QoL) instrument and to assess the impact of vision impairment and eye disease on the quality of life of adults in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Design: This study was designed as community based cross-sectional. Participants: Six hundred fourteen adults aged 18 and above were included in this study. Methods: Focus groups and interviews guided development of a 41-item instrument. Two valid subscales of the instrument were obtained using pilot data after an iterative item reduction process guided by Rasch-based parameters. The person measures (in logits) of 614 participants were used to assess quality of life using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Main Outcome Measures: Rasch logits. Results: Rasch analysis confirmed a 17-item instrument containing an 8-item activity limitation subscale and a 9-item well-being subscale. Both subscales were unidimensional and demonstrated good fit statistics, measurement precisions and absence of significant differential item functioning. A consistent deterioration in vision-specific quality of life was independently and significantly associated with levels of vision. Severity of vision impairment and ocular morbidity were independently associated with activity limitation and emotional well-being. Participants with refractive error had lower quality of life score than those with no ocular abnormality but higher score than those with cataract and other eye diseases. Conclusions: The 17-item PNG-VS QoL instrument is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of impact of impaired vision on quality of life in PNG. Vision-specific quality of life was significantly worse among participants who were older and less-educated, had lower income and have had ocular morbidities

Effects of a community-based health education intervention on eye health literacy of adults in Vietnam

Health education interventions are more commonly evaluated in hospitals or schools but rarely in the community. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a community-based eye health education intervention on the eye health literacy in an adult Vietnamese population. Four hundred households from two districts of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province were selected by multistage systematic random sampling. A pretested questionnaire was administered at baseline and re-administered, after an eye health education intervention in two of the four communes. The other two communes acted as controls. The intervention included eye health education through community presentation, brochures, posters and loudspeaker. Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. A total of 400 adults (mean age: 51.5 ± 14.5 years; range, 30–90 years) participated in the baseline survey and the repeat survey. Participants in the intervention group showed significantly greater awareness and knowledge of red eye preventive measures (Odds ratio range 2.1 to 4.1, p = 0.03 to 0.001) compared to control group. Participants in the intervention group were more than twice as likely to have heard of cataract (OR 2.3, p = 0.008), and more than three times as likely to be aware of cataract surgery (OR 3.1, p = 0.003) and know that the cataract blindness is reversible (OR 3.3, p = 0.002), than the control group. Multiple logistic regression showed that location, education, and eyeglasses ownership were the major factors associated with disease awareness. The eye health education intervention successfully increased awareness and knowledge of red eye and cataract in the intervention community

Incidence of myopia in Swedish schoolchildren: A longitudinal study

Purpose: The prevalence of myopia in Scandinavia tends to be lower than in other parts of the world. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of myopia and its predictors in Swedish children to characterise this trend. Methods: A 2-year longitudinal study was conducted following a cohort of schoolchildren aged 8–16 years. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤ −0.50 D. The study enrolled 128 participants, 70 (55%) females with a mean age of 12.0 years (SD = 2.4). Results: The cumulative incidence of myopia during the follow-up period was 5.5%, and the incidence rate of myopia was 3.2 cases per 100 person-years. Participants with myopia at baseline exhibited a faster increase in refractive error during the follow-up period. Likewise, participants with two myopic parents exhibited a more marked change towards myopia, regardless of their initial refractive error. Conclusion: In the current study, similar to prevalence, the incidence of myopia was low when compared with other parts of the world. These results lead us to formulate a new hypothesis that the normal emmetropisation process may be protected by low educational pressure practised in Sweden during early childhood. Further research is necessary to test this new hypothesis. © 2024 The Author(s). Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of College of Optometrists.This study was supported by Specsavers Sweden AB, the faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University and the Brien Holden Vision Institute

Perceptions of Eye Health and Eye Health Services among Adults Attending Outreach Eye Care Clinics in Papua New Guinea

Purpose: To determine how people attending outreach eye care clinics in Papua New Guinea (PNG) perceive eye health and eye health services.Methods: An interview-based questionnaire was administrated to a convenience sample of 614 adult participants across four provinces and perceptions of eye health and eye health services were recorded. Presenting and near visual acuity were measured and cause of visual impairment (VI) determined.Results: In this sample, 113/614 participants (18.4%) presented with distance VI, 16 (2.6%) with distance blindness, and 221 (47.6%) with near VI. Older participants and those with near VI were more likely to indicate that it is hard to have an eye examination due to travel time, lack of transport and transport costs. Female participants and those from underserved areas were more likely to report shame and fear of jealousy from others when asked about their attitudes towards spectacles. Participants reporting that they were willing to pay higher amounts for testing and spectacles/treatment also reported higher education levels, higher household incomes and were more likely to be male. A quarter of participants (25.9%) indicated that they did not like having an eye examination because their reading and writing was poor.Conclusions: People attending outreach eye care clinics in PNG reported finding it difficult to attend eye health services due to transport difficulties and anticipated high costs. Negative attitudes towards spectacles were also prevalent, and negative perceptions appeared more frequently among older participants and those with less education

Establishing a method to estimate the effect of antimyopia management options on lifetime cost of myopia

Background Informed decisions on myopia management require an understanding of financial impact. We describe methodology for estimating lifetime myopia costs, with comparison across management options, using exemplars in Australia and China. Methods We demonstrate a process for modelling lifetime costs of traditional myopia management (TMM=full, single-vision correction) and active myopia management (AMM) options with clinically meaningful treatment efficacy. Evidence-based, location-specific and ethnicity-specific progression data determined the likelihood of all possible refractive outcomes. Myopia care costs were collected from published sources and key informants. Refractive and ocular health decisions were based on standard clinical protocols that responded to the speed of progression, level of myopia, and associated risks of pathology and vision impairment. We used the progressions, costs, protocols and risks to estimate and compare lifetime cost of myopia under each scenario and tested the effect of 0%, 3% and 5% annual discounting, where discounting adjusts future costs to 2020 value. Results Low-dose atropine, antimyopia spectacles, antimyopia multifocal soft contact lenses and orthokeratology met our AMM inclusion criteria. Lifetime cost for TMM with 3% discounting was US$7437 (CI US$4953 to US$10 740) in Australia and US$8006 (CI US$3026 to US$13 707) in China. The lowest lifetime cost options with 3% discounting were antimyopia spectacles (US$7280, CI US$5246 to US$9888) in Australia and low-dose atropine (US$4453, CI US$2136 to US$9115) in China. Conclusions Financial investment in AMM during childhood may be balanced or exceeded across a lifetime by reduced refractive progression, simpler lenses, and reduced risk of pathology and vision loss. Our methodology can be applied to estimate cost in comparable scenarios

Global Prevalence of Presbyopia and Vision Impairment from Uncorrected Presbyopia: Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Modelling

Topic: Presbyopia prevalence and spectacle-correction coverage were estimated by systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic evidence, then modeled to expand to country, region, and global estimates. Clinical Relevance: Understanding presbyopia epidemiologic factors and correction coverage is critical to overcoming the burden of vision impairment (VI) from uncorrected presbyopia. Methods: We performed systematic reviews of presbyopia prevalence and spectacle-correction coverage. Accepted presbyopia prevalence data were gathered into 5-year age groups from 0 to 90 years or older and meta-analyzed within World Health Organization global burden of disease regions. We developed a model based on amplitude of accommodation adjusted for myopia rates to match the regionally meta-analyzed presbyopia prevalence. Presbyopia spectacle-correction coverage was analyzed against country-level variables from the year of data collection; variation in correction coverage was described best by a model based on the Human Development Index, Gini coefficient, and health expenditure, with adjustments for age and urbanization. We used the models to estimate presbyopia prevalence and spectacle-correction coverage in each age group in urban and rural areas of every country in the world, and combined with population data to estimate the number of people with near VI. Results: We estimate there were 1.8 billion people (prevalence, 25%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–2.0 billion [23%–27%]) globally with presbyopia in 2015, 826 million (95% CI, 686–960 million) of whom had near VI because they had no, or inadequate, vision correction. Global unmet need for presbyopia correction in 2015 is estimated to be 45% (95% CI, 41%–49%). People with presbyopia are more likely to have adequate optical correction if they live in an urban area of a more developed country with higher health expenditure and lower inequality. Conclusions: There is a significant burden of VI from uncorrected presbyopia, with the greatest burden in rural areas of low-resource countries

Corneal dendritic cells and the subbasal nerve plexus following neurotoxic treatment with oxaliplatin or paclitaxel

Immune cell infiltration has been implicated in neurotoxic chemotherapy for cancer treatment. However, our understanding of immune processes is still incomplete and current methods of observing immune cells are time consuming or invasive. Corneal dendritic cells are potent antigen-presenting cells and can be imaged with in-vivo corneal confocal microscopy. Corneal dendritic cell densities and nerve parameters in patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy were investigated. Patients treated for cancer with oxaliplatin (n = 39) or paclitaxel (n = 48), 3 to 24 months prior to assessment were recruited along with 40 healthy controls. Immature (ImDC), mature (MDC) and total dendritic cell densities (TotalDC), and corneal nerve parameters were analyzed from in-vivo corneal confocal microscopy images. ImDC was increased in the oxaliplatin group (Median, Md = 22.7 cells/mm2) compared to healthy controls (Md = 10.1 cells/mm2, p = 0.001), but not in the paclitaxel group (Md = 10.6 cells/mm2). ImDC was also associated with higher oxaliplatin cumulative dose (r = 0.33, p = 0.04) and treatment cycles (r = 0.40, p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in MDC between the three groups (p > 0.05). Corneal nerve parameters were reduced in both oxaliplatin and paclitaxel groups compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). There is evidence of elevation of corneal ImDC in oxaliplatin-treated patients. Further investigation is required to explore this potential link through longitudinal studies and animal or laboratory-based immunohistochemical research

IMI impact of myopia

The global burden of myopia is growing. Myopia affected nearly 30% of the world population in 2020 and this number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050. This review aims to analyze the impact of myopia on individuals and society; summarizing the evidence for recent research on the prevalence of myopia and high myopia, lifetime pathological manifestations of myopia, direct health expenditure, and indirect costs such as lost productivity and reduced quality of life (QOL). The principal trends are a rising prevalence of myopia and high myopia, with a disproportionately greater increase in the prevalence of high myopia. This forecasts a future increase in vision loss due to uncorrected myopia as well as high myopia-related complications such as myopic macular degeneration. QOL is affected for those with uncorrected myopia, high myopia, or complications of high myopia. Overall the current global cost estimates related to direct health expenditure and lost productivity are in the billions. Health expenditure is greater in adults, reflecting the added costs due to myopia-related complications. Unless the current trajectory for the rising prevalence of myopia and high myopia change, the costs will continue to grow. The past few decades have seen the emergence of several novel approaches to prevent and slow myopia. Further work is needed to understand the life-long impact of myopia on an individual and the cost-effectiveness of the various novel approaches in reducing the burden

Utilisation of eyecare services in an urban population in southern India: the Andhra Pradesh eye disease study

AIM—To assess utilisation of eyecare services by people with visual impairment <6/18 or equivalent visual field loss in the better eye in the urban population of Hyderabad in southern India.
METHODS—2522 subjects of all ages, representative of the population of Hyderabad city, underwent a detailed interview and dilated examination as part of the population based Andhra Pradesh eye disease study. Subjects more than 15 years of age were interviewed regarding the use of eyecare services.
RESULTS—Of 250 subjects with presenting distance visual acuity <6/18 or equivalent visual field loss in the better eye, information on utilisation of eyecare services was available for 229 (91.6%). Of these 229 subjects, 44 (19%) had visual acuity <6/60 or equivalent visual field loss in the better eye, and 202 (88.2%) had noticed decrease in vision over the past 5 years. Multivariate analysis showed that this decrease in vision was noticed significantly less by subjects with refractive error as the cause of visual impairment (odds ratio 0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.12-0.93). Of the 229 subjects who were visually impaired, 108 (59%) did not seek treatment. Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds for seeking treatment were significantly lower for Hindus than Muslims (odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.28-0.98). The reasons for not seeking treatment could be classified as personal (49.5%), economic (30.8%), and social (19.6%).
CONCLUSION—A large proportion of subjects with visual impairment in this urban population in India did not seek treatment even after noticing decrease in vision. Projecting these data to the 155( )million urban population >15 years of age in India, there may be 4.9 million (95% confidence interval 4.3-5.5 million) people in urban India who are not seeking treatment for their visual impairment even after noticing decrease in vision. These data suggest that efforts have to be made to better understand the reasons for this phenomenon so that optimal utilisation of the available eyecare services in urban India can be planned.