Comparative Analysis of Ocular Morbidity in Riverine and Upland Communities in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims/Objective: A community- based cross-section all comparative study was carried out to compare the pattern of ocular morbidity between residents in upland and riverine communities in Rivers State. Methods: The sample size was calculated using the formula for comparative studies, based on alpha of 0.05, beta of 0.20, the proportion of eye disorder of 40.4% from a community-based study in Rivers State. A minimum sample size of 84 per group was attained. Data on age, sex, visual acuity, cup-disc ratio, intra-ocular diagnosis were obtained using an interviewer-based pro forma. Collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel and exported to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epi Info version 7 software for statistical analysis. The Pearson's Chi square/Fisher's exact tests were used as appropriate to determine significant differences in demographic and eye examination findings between the two groups (riverine versus upland) while Chi-square homogeneity was performed to determine significant differences in the individual ocular diagnosis across the groups. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of eighty-six (86) participants per group were involved in the study, making a total of one hundred and seventy-two participants. The mean age was 37.9 (±18.1) and age range of 1-90 years. Males comprised 30.2% of the sample population while females were 69.8%. The commonest causes of ocular morbidity in both communities were Refractive error. Allergic conjunctivitis and cataract were more common in the Riverine community compared to the upland one. Conclusion: Our study shows that the pattern of ocular morbidity may differ based on land surfaces. Ocular morbidity appears to be more prevalent in Riverine areas than upland. Government interventions and eye care service providers should take cognizance of this while planning intervention programs at the State and National levels.