The Prevalence Rate of Ocular Symptoms and Diseases in the Urban and Rural Populations

ABSTRACT

In search of the effect of air pollution on the eye, the authors examined ocular symptoms and diseases in both an urban(Seoul) and two rural populations (Suwon and Changsung). The Prevalence rate of ocular symptoms and diseases between 109 occupational drivers of more than 3 years career in Seoul area which is one of the air polluted urban areas and 150 populations in the two different rural areas as a control group were compared. The prevalence rate of ocular symptoms was 89% in Seoul, 10% in Suwon and 23% in Changsung area, and those of ocular diseases were 35%, 6% and 10% in the same areas, respectively. The prevalence rate of ocular symptoms and diseases is respectively 3 to 4 times more prevalent in occupational drivers than in the control groups. Many other etiologic factors such as occupation, labor condition, environmental stress or different way of living may influence the prevalence rate between the two groups, however, it would be presumed that the main causative factor to cause ocular symptoms and diseases is probably due to air pollution.