Impact of Urbanization and Sunlight Exposure on Cataract Incidence

Association of sunlight exposure with visual impairment in an Indian fishing community

Purpose

Indian fishermen belong to a marginalized population and are continuously exposed to extreme occupational hazards and sunlight. A high prevalence of visual impairment (VI) is reported in the coastal fishing community. We aimed to investigate the association between VI and sunlight exposure measurement (SEM).

Methods

In this cross-sectional observational study, 270 eyes of 135 participants were enrolled from a coastal fishing village. Participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, which included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and anterior and posterior segment examination. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and SEM questionnaire were administered to estimate the level of dry eye and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure, respectively. VI was defined as presenting visual acuity worse than 6/12 (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] > 0.3).

Results

The mean age and spherical equivalent were 50.56 ± 11.72 years (range: 18-80 years) and 0.36 ± 1.68 diopters (D) (range: -7.0 to +3.0 D), respectively. Age, SEM, OSDI, fishing as an occupation, and cataract were significantly associated with higher odds of VI in univariate analysis. Refraction, gender, education level, smoking status, amblyopia, systematic, and other ocular diseases were not significantly associated with VI. In the multivariate analysis, age, SEM, and presence of cataract remained significantly associated with a higher risk for VI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for age and SEM scores demonstrate a fair index of discrimination for the detection of VI.

Conclusion

SEM level is directly associated with a higher risk of VI among fishermen. The fishing community might benefit from regular eye examinations and awareness about the harmful effects of sunlight exposure and preventive measures.

Visually significant cataract and associated factors among older people attending a community ophthalmic service in central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Objective

In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of visually significant cataract and associated factors among older people attending community ophthalmic services in the central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

We conducted a community outreach-based cross-sectional study among adults aged ≥40 years in the central Gondar Zone from 30 May to 15 June 2021. We used systematic random sampling to select study participants. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and ocular examinations were performed and the data recorded. We applied binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with visually significant cataract.

Results

A total of 821 participants were included, with median age 57 years. The prevalence of visually significant cataract was 29.1% (95% CI: 26.1–32.0). Age ≥80 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 16.9; 95% CI: 7.5–38.4), rural residence (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.02–2.7), unmarried status (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.2–3.2), illiteracy (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI: 1.4–6.1), unemployed status (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1–2.7), and sunlight exposure ≥5 hours per day (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.04–2.4) were significantly associated with visually significant cataract.

Conclusion

In this study, visually significant cataract was found to be high, which requires immediate public health intervention.

Regular Exercise and Weight-Control Behavior Are Protective Factors against Osteoporosis for General Population: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis from Taiwan Biobank Participants

The rising prevalence of osteoporosis, which can lead to osteoporotic fractures, increases morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. Multiple factors influencing bone mass have already been identified. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exercise habits and weight-control behaviors can lower the incidence of osteoporosis in the general population. This retrospective study recruited all participants aged 35–70 years who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) from Taiwan Biobank (TWB). The final analysis consisted of 3320 eligible participants divided into two groups; demographic characteristics, prevalence of clinical symptoms, comorbidities, and daily behavior were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. After propensity score matching with a 1:1 ratio, 1107 out of 2214 individuals were classified into the osteoporosis group. Age, body fat rate, body shape, diabetes mellitus, and social status were found to affect the incidence of osteoporosis. Subjects with a habit of regular exercise and weight-control behavior showed decreased odds of osteoporosis. (odds ratio: 0.709 and 0.753, 95% confidence interval: 0.599–0.839 and 0.636–0.890). In the general population, regular exercise or weight-control behavior lowers the incidence of osteoporosis.