Brendan Dineen | Search PubMed

PubMed2005

Rapid assessment for prioritisation of trachoma control at community level in one district of the Kaolack Region, Senegal.

The objective of this study was to use a modified Lot Quality Assurance Sampling methodology to classify communities according to prevalence of active trachoma and to estimate the prevalence of trachoma and trichiasis in Nioro department, Kaolack Region, Senegal. A survey was conducted using two-stage cluster sampling to select 50 children aged 2-5 years in each of 33 clusters. In total 1,648 children were examined for active trachoma. Information on trachoma risk factors was collected through interviews with the mother or the household head of the child. Adults (>40 years) with trichiasis were identified through case finding. Nineteen clusters had a low prevalence of active trachoma in children aged 2-5 years (<20%), 11 had medium prevalence (20-40%) and three had high prevalence (>40%). The prevalence of active trachoma in children aged 2-5 years was 17.4% (95% CI 12.9-21.8%). Multivariate-adjusted predictors of active trachoma were: age, facial cleanliness, hygiene practices and keeping cattle in the household. The prevalence of trichiasis in adults aged over 40 years was 1.77% (95% CI 1.24-2.51), equating to 985 adults (95% CI 765-1250) with trichiasis in Nioro department. In conclusion, a survey using rapid methodology showed that trachoma is a problem of public significance in Nioro department, Senegal.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2003

Refractive errors.

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Child↗

PubMed2002

The National Blindness and Low Vision Prevalence Survey of Bangladesh: research design, eye examination methodology and results of the pilot study.

PURPOSE To describe the research design and eye examination protocol of The National Blindness and Low Vision Prevalence Survey of Bangladesh and to present the main results of the rural pilot study. METHODS A thorough description of the sampling strategy, eye examination protocol and operational definitions are presented. Multi-stage stratified (rural/urban) cluster random sampling, with probability proportional-to-size procedures, will be used for selection of a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample (12,900 subjects) of the population aged > or = l30 years. Each subject will be tested for visual acuity, auto-refracted and undergo optic disc examination. Those with <6/12 visual acuity in either eye will be re-tested with their refractive correction, dilated and examined for anterior and posterior segment disease. A preliminary, separate rural pilot survey sample was conducted according to the eye examination procedures, with results reported herein. RESULTS Two-hundred-and-four (73.1%) of 279 eligible subjects were examined for the rural pilot. Forty-eight persons had presenting visual acuity worse than 6/12 in either eye. The presenting visual acuity of the better eye was used to group the subjects into the following WHO categories (brackets enclose the number of subjects after refractive correction): Blind: 4 [4]; Visually impaired: 29 [14]; Sighted: 171 [186], of whom 3 [3] were unilaterally blind. Cataract was the main cause of visual acuity of less than 6/12, followed by refractive error, and age-related macular degeneration. CONCLUSIONS The pilot survey demonstrated that the proposed examination process for the main survey was both feasible and appropriate for the purposes of this study. Particular strengths of the pilot and subsequent main survey include the use of logMAR visual acuity testing and auto-refraction of all subjects. The pilot study reveals the burden of cataract and refractive error, which are two of the five diseases specifically targeted by the WHO global blindness initiative 'Vision 2020'.

Adult↗