Epidemiological investigation of risk factors for cataract among people aged 50 and over in Tacheng area, Xinjiang

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of cataract and its risk factors in the Jiu Shi Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and Han and Kazak people aged 50 years old and over in Emin County, Tacheng area, Xinjiang.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted.An epidemiological survey on the prevalence of cataract among people aged 50 years old and over was performed by the Department of Ophthalmology of North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital in the Jiu Shi Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and Emin County from October 2015 to June 2018.The basic sampling units (BSUs) were divided according to the administrative regions, with about 1 000 people in each administrative region.With a population exceeding 1 500, sample units would be divided into more than two BSUs according to the population.Xinjiang Tacheng area was divided into 240 BSUs, and 12 BSUs were selected by random number table method for inspection.With the lens opacity classification system Ⅱ (LOCS Ⅱ) as the diagnostic standard, the prevalence rate of cataract in different nationalities and different ages in this area was evaluated, and the relationship between age, nationality, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, ultraviolet irradiation time and the prevalence rate of cataract was analyzed.This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Jiu Shi Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (No.SW-201501-04).

Results

The prevalence rate of cataract among people aged 50 and over in the Jiu Shi Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and Emin County was 76.34%.The prevalence rate of cataract in 50-<60-year-old group, 60-<70-year-old group, 70-<80-year-old group and ≥80-year-old group was 23.30%, 77.40%, 89.60% and 100.00%, respectively.There were significant differences in the prevalence among people between different ages, different nationalities, with and without hypertension, with and without diabetes, with and without hyperlipidemia (all at P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the prevalence among people between different sexes, with and without coronary heart disease, smoking or not, different ultraviolet irradiation time (all at P>0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age (50-<60 years old: [OR=39.93, 95%CI: 20.77-76.77; 60-<70 years old: OR=3.81, 95%CI: 2.05-7.08; 70-<80 years old: OR=1.72, 95%CI: 0.92-3.22]), hypertension (OR=1.54, 95%CI: 1.13-2.11) and hyperlipidemia (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.10-2.03) were independent risk factors for cataract.

Conclusions

The incidence of cataract in the Jiu Shi Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and people aged 50 and over in Emin County is higher than that in other parts of China, in which age, hypertension and hyperlipidemia are independent risk factors for cataract.