RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although there has been a considerable reduction in the infective causes of ocular morbidity, the global burden of blindness has not significantly altered for over a decade. OBJECTIVES: To find the extent of ocular morbidity in different subgroups of the rural population and to study the factors associated with ocular morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Jasra and Saidabad blocks of Allahabad District. A total of eight villages were selected by multistage random sampling technique. The data were analyzed with SPSS Software. RESULTS: Among 9,736 people surveyed, 931 cases of eye diseases were identified. Ocular morbidity was highest (40.92 %) among those aged above 60 years. A higher morbidity was also observed among females (53.60 %), illiterates (69.50 %) and those belonging to low socioeconomic strata (42.86 %). The main causes of ocular morbidity in the study population were cataract (41.89 %), uncorrected refractive errors (21.59 %), xerophthalmia (10.20 %) and glaucoma ( 4.83 %). CONCLUSIONS: Programs for cataract surgery, detection and treatment of glaucoma, correction of refractive errors and vitamin A prophylaxis for xerophthalmia need to be targeted to further reduce the burden of ocular morbidity.
Assuntos
Oftalmopatias/epidemiologia , Vigilância da População , População Rural , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Índia/epidemiologia , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Morbidade/tendências , Prognóstico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Distribuição por Sexo , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Nearly three-fourth of the indigenous medical practitioners (74.37%) in the rural area of Agra were treating 15 patients in a day. Maximum number of patients was attended by trained practitioners. Only 21.82 percent of the practitioners were providing preventive services apart from curative services. Inspite of wide variations in level of training with consequent difference in knowledge, skills and practice, these practitioners still make a significant contribution to health care of the community provided they get some training of modern health system and state patronage. To start with, at least they should be given orientation towards vaccination as they are still giving tetanus toxoid only at the time of injury. In the same way training should be given regarding distribution of vitamin 'A' for prevention of night blindness and iron folic acid tablets for control of anaemia in vulnerable groups.