Epidemiology of visual disability in Santa Clara municipality

Authors

  • Silvia L. Álvarez Romero Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
  • Amarilys Hernández Camacho Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
  • Nancy de la Caridad Duquesne García Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
  • Arelys Fleitas Hernández Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Keywords:

visually impaired persons, epidemiology, descriptive

Abstract

A descriptive retrospective study among the ANCI affiliates in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, was carried out through the compilation of the existing data in the archives of the association until February 2009. Its objective was to characterize visual disability in the municipality. The universe of study was the total amount of affiliates (580) and the study sample was formed by 510 individuals who presented visual disability. Of them, 93.92 percent (479) were adults; 130 were blind, most of them males (74), and 349 visually handicapped individuals with no evident influence concerning gender; there were 31 children, 27 of them were visually handicapped (12 female and 15 male) and 4 were blind (3 of them female). The prevalence rate was 2.15 visually handicapped per 1000 inhabitant. The ophthalmologic conditions more commonly causing low vision in the sample were: glaucoma 83 patients, myopia 80 patients, congenital cataract 43 patients, diabetic retinopathy 28 patients and pigmentary retinitis 24 patients. The optic nerve atrophy, with 23 cases and the age-related macular degeneration were also found to be important causes. The main causes of blindness were: glaucoma with 63 cases, diseases of the retina with 12 cases and diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment with 11 cases each. The results of the integral rehabilitation were: 253 rehabilitated patients out of 376 visually handicapped (67.29%) and 85 patients rehabilitated and fully integrated to society out of 134 blind patients (63.43%).

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Author Biographies

Silvia L. Álvarez Romero, Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Especialista de I Grado en Oftalmología. Profesora Instructora del Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara “Dr. Serafín Ruiz de Zárate Ruiz”.

Amarilys Hernández Camacho, Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Especialista de I Grado en Oftalmología

Nancy de la Caridad Duquesne García, Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Especialista de I Grado en Oftalmología. Profesora Instructora del Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara “Dr. Serafín Ruiz de Zárate Ruiz”.

Arelys Fleitas Hernández, Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Arnaldo Milián Castro”, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Licenciada en Optometría y Óptica. Profesora Instructora del Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara “Dr. Serafín Ruiz de Zárate Ruiz”.

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How to Cite

1.
Álvarez Romero SL, Hernández Camacho A, Duquesne García N de la C, Fleitas Hernández A. Epidemiology of visual disability in Santa Clara municipality. Acta Méd Centro [Internet]. 2009 May 8 [cited 2025 Jul. 27];3(2):13-7. Available from: https://revactamedicacentro.sld.cu/index.php/amc/article/view/444

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2009): May-August

Section

Original Articles

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