Global burden of visual impairment among working-age individuals ‘progressively increasing’
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Key takeaways:
- Prevalent cases of visual impairment increased by 91.46% from 1990 to 2019.
- Disability-adjusted life-years as a result of visual impairment rose by 65.27% during this time.
The global prevalence of visual impairment among working-age individuals has increased by more than 90% over the past 30 years, with the highest burden in less developed countries, according to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“Initiatives focused on enhancing ocular well-being and reducing visual impairment among the populace of working-age individuals have the potential to greatly contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” Jianqi Chen, MD, of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University, and colleagues wrote. “However, previous studies have primarily focused on populations that are considered vulnerable, such as children and older adults, while less attention has been given to individuals of working age.”
Chen and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study using data for individuals aged 15 to 64 years from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study, which examined disease burden and risk factors in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.
Researchers identified 437,539,484 prevalent cases of visual impairment of working-age individuals in 2019, representing a 91.46% increase from 1990. In addition, age-standardized prevalence rates increased from 8,034.44 per 100,000 population to 8,287.82 during this time.
The global number of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) as a result of visual impairment rose from 7,601,852 in 1990 to 12,563,276 in 2019, marking a 65.27% increase. However, the DALY rate by population decreased from 261.74 per 100,000 to 239.6 per 100,000.
Although visual impairment-associated DALYs increased among all age groups, researchers reported the greatest rise among those aged 50 to 54 years, who experienced an 85.47% increase.
After stratifying according to region, nation and sociodemographic index (SDI), researchers found that the low-SDI group had the largest increase in DALYs, going from 898,167 in 1990 to 1,634,122 in 2019. The greatest rise in prevalence was in Eastern Europe, and of all the countries and territories studied, Nepal had the highest national prevalence of visual impairment (26,008.45 per 100,000), while South Sudan had the highest DALY rate (480.59 per 100,000).
“The results of this cross-sectional study indicate that the global burden of visual impairment among working-age individuals has been progressively increasing over the past 3 decades and is anticipated to persistently grow in the foreseeable future,” Chen and colleagues wrote.
Perspective
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For working-age individuals, having a visual impairment can significantly affect their quality of life and lead to socioeconomic challenges due to limitations in working ability. The significant rise in global cases has resulted in magnified consequences for both personal well-being and economic advancement.
As optometrists, we are fortunate to be practicing at a time of continuing advancements in treatment and management of ocular conditions. However, this study reminds us that there is still progress to be made — a treatment can only be helpful if available to those who need it. While there was some statistical bias due to limited data, the most prevalent causes of visual impairment were found to be refractive error, near vision loss and cataracts — all of which are easily treatable in nature.
The major public health barriers we face regarding treatment include accessibility to health care and educational resources, especially in developing regions. Therefore, we must persist in advocating for eye care as a human right and work with public health officials to implement strategies to reduce the global burden of visual impairment.
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