Prevalence, risk factors and causes of visual impairment in patients with diabetes at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, South Western Uganda; A hospital based study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence, causes and risk factors to visual impairment among patients with diabetes at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) as a baseline pilot for developing diabetic retinopathy treatment services.
Design: This was a descriptive cross sectional hospital based study conducted for a period of six months.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study done at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, 318 patients with diabetes aged 18 years and above were enrolled. Their visual acuity was determined. Those that had visual acuity of below 6/18 underwent a detailed ocular exam including refraction and a dilated fundoscopy to determine the cause of visual impairment.
Results: The prevalence of visual impairment was 28.6% without correction, and 17% with correction. Cataract was the commonest cause of visual impairment (34.5%) followed by refractive error (20.8%), glaucoma (16.8%) and diabetic retinopathy (12.5%). Age was the only significant risk factor to visual impairment in this population.
Conclusion: The proportion of visual impairment was high and cataract was the commonest cause of visual impairment in this population.