The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study
Abstract Background The population of older adults is growing dramatically. Sadly, this populace is highly prone to develop various ocular morbidities, which if left unattended can lead to blindness. Aim To determine the distribution of ocular morbidities among older adults at a secondary hospital i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Health Science Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1304 |
| _version_ | 1797791547578646528 |
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| author | Owen Banda Thokozani Mzumara Grace Ogbonna |
| author_facet | Owen Banda Thokozani Mzumara Grace Ogbonna |
| author_sort | Owen Banda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The population of older adults is growing dramatically. Sadly, this populace is highly prone to develop various ocular morbidities, which if left unattended can lead to blindness. Aim To determine the distribution of ocular morbidities among older adults at a secondary hospital in Malawi. Methods This was a retrospective cross‐sectional study conducted at Mzimba North District Hospital in Malawi. We retrieved 314 patient records from the hospital's ophthalmic outpatient registry from August 2020 to July 2022 using a nonprobability census sampling technique. Data entry and analysis were done employing SPSS (v.26). Results More females 164 (52.2%) than males 150 (47.8%) had ocular morbidities. Cataract 108 (34.4%) was the most common ocular morbidity followed by allergic conjunctivitis 104 (33.1%), then pingueculae 44 (14%), and glaucoma 8 (2.5%) Cataract showed a statistically significant difference between males and females (p < 0.05). And Glaucoma portrayed a statistically significant variation according to age groups (p < 0.05). According to the time of the year, most cases were attended to in March compared to August. Conclusion The majority of blinding conditions among the elderly in Malawi are preventable similar to other geographical settings. Therefore, it is feasible to enhance the quality of life for senior Malawians and lessen the impact of blindness on individuals, families, and communities by addressing preventable causes of blindness through focused interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:20:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d94a2b6641ef49e68123ae85adaf9d8f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-8835 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:20:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Science Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-d94a2b6641ef49e68123ae85adaf9d8f2023-06-30T10:20:50ZengWileyHealth Science Reports2398-88352023-06-0166n/an/a10.1002/hsr2.1304The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective studyOwen Banda0Thokozani Mzumara1Grace Ogbonna2Department of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences Mzuzu University Mzuzu MalawiDepartment of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences Mzuzu University Mzuzu MalawiDepartment of Optometry, Faculty of Health Sciences Mzuzu University Mzuzu MalawiAbstract Background The population of older adults is growing dramatically. Sadly, this populace is highly prone to develop various ocular morbidities, which if left unattended can lead to blindness. Aim To determine the distribution of ocular morbidities among older adults at a secondary hospital in Malawi. Methods This was a retrospective cross‐sectional study conducted at Mzimba North District Hospital in Malawi. We retrieved 314 patient records from the hospital's ophthalmic outpatient registry from August 2020 to July 2022 using a nonprobability census sampling technique. Data entry and analysis were done employing SPSS (v.26). Results More females 164 (52.2%) than males 150 (47.8%) had ocular morbidities. Cataract 108 (34.4%) was the most common ocular morbidity followed by allergic conjunctivitis 104 (33.1%), then pingueculae 44 (14%), and glaucoma 8 (2.5%) Cataract showed a statistically significant difference between males and females (p < 0.05). And Glaucoma portrayed a statistically significant variation according to age groups (p < 0.05). According to the time of the year, most cases were attended to in March compared to August. Conclusion The majority of blinding conditions among the elderly in Malawi are preventable similar to other geographical settings. Therefore, it is feasible to enhance the quality of life for senior Malawians and lessen the impact of blindness on individuals, families, and communities by addressing preventable causes of blindness through focused interventions.https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1304chronic diseasesepidemiologyhealth services and outcomes researchopthalmology |
| spellingShingle | Owen Banda Thokozani Mzumara Grace Ogbonna The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study Health Science Reports chronic diseases epidemiology health services and outcomes research opthalmology |
| title | The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study |
| title_full | The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study |
| title_fullStr | The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study |
| title_short | The burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in Malawi: A retrospective study |
| title_sort | burden of ocular morbidities among elderly patients visiting a district healthcare facility in malawi a retrospective study |
| topic | chronic diseases epidemiology health services and outcomes research opthalmology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1304 |
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