Burden of visual impairment has increased globally, according to study

The number of prevalent cases of visual impairment globally increased substantially in working-age individuals from 1990 to 2019, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Jianqi Chen, M.D., from the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues investigated the trends of visual impairment prevalence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in working-age (15 to 64 years) individuals (1990 to 2019). The analysis included data from 204 countries and territories participating in the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

The researchers identified 437.5 million prevalent cases of visual impairment globally (53.12 percent female) in 2019, representing an increase of 91.46 percent from 1990 (prevalent cases, 228.5 million). Visual impairment-associated DALYs increased over three decades from 7.6 million to 12.6 million.

The low sociodemographic index group had the largest increase in DALYs (898,167 in 1990 to 1.6 million in 2019). The greatest increase in prevalence was seen in Eastern Europe. Overall, Nepal had the highest national prevalence of visual impairment (26,008 per 100,000 population in 2019), while South Sudan had the highest DALY rate (480.59 per 100,000 population).

"The correlation between visual impairment in working-age individuals and their personal well-being and socioeconomic productivity necessitates further research and prompts development of efficient strategies aimed at alleviating the burden of visual impairment," the authors write.

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