Original articleThe Nakuru Posterior Segment Eye Disease Study: Methods and Prevalence of Blindness and Visual Impairment in Nakuru, Kenya
Section snippets
Methods/Design
The study fieldwork was carried out in 2 phases from January 2007 to June 2007 and from April 2008 to November 2008.
Study Participation and Response Rates
There were 5010 subjects enumerated for this study. Of these, 4414 participants underwent examination, for a response rate of 88.1%. The response rate was similarly high among men (89.2%) and women (86.5%). Of the nonrespondents, 584 (98%) were away working or visiting family outside the cluster location and 12 (2%) refused to participate; none were excluded as a result of inability to communicate.
Comparison of Responders and Nonresponders
Details about gender were available for all of the nonresponders, whereas age was available for
Discussion
This study describes the vision status of a random sample of Kenyan people aged ≥50 years living in Nakuru district using comprehensive ophthalmic examination techniques. The results confirm that prevalence of blindness is relatively low as suggested by recent RAAB surveys4, 21 and that it may be declining compared with earlier surveys.22
The prevalence of bilateral blindness in this study (1.6% [95% CI, 1.2–2.1]) is similar to that found in the RAAB performed in the same district in 2005 (2.0%
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Manuscript no. 2011-1718.
Financial Disclosure(s): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article.
Supported by grants from the British Council for the Prevention of Blindness (BCPB) and the Fred Hollows Foundation [Wanjiku Mathenge]. Andrew Bastawrous is funded by a Medical Research Council and Fight for Sight Fellowship and is in receipt of an International Glaucoma Association Award and a BCPB pump-priming grant.