Table 3 Self-reported vision difficulties among participants who had vision loss
| Â | Blurred vision | Need for more light | Difficulty reading | Other difficultiesb | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | 95% CI | n | % | 95% CI | n | % | 95% CI | n | % | 95% CI | |
Total | 203 | 42.3 | [33.9–51.2] | 84 | 18.3 | [12.5–25.9] | 274 | 56.2 | [46.8–65.1] | 86 | 21.1 | [15.9–27.4] |
Age (years) | ||||||||||||
 15–44 | 38 | 40.1 | [26.8–54.9] | 11 | 11.7 | [5.6–22.6] | 46 | 45.5 | [31.1–60.8] | 20 | 19.6 | [10.9–32.8] |
 45–54 | 44 | 36.5 | [24.1–51.0] | 15 | 12.8 | [6.6–23.2] | 85 | 74.9 | [63.0–83.9] | 14 | 15.2 | [6.7–30.9] |
 55–64 | 62 | 43.7 | [32.0–56.1] | 31 | 30.5 | [18.8–45.4] | 79 | 57.7 | [44.8–69.5] | 27 | 26.9 | [16.7–40.3] |
≥ 65 | 59 | 55.4 | [39.6–70.1] | 27 | 27.6 | [17.4–40.9] | 64 | 52.6 | [37.9–66.8] | 25 | 26.2 | [16.0–39.9] |
Sex | ||||||||||||
 Males | 66 | 37.8 | [27.1–49.8] | 18 | 10.8 | [5.4–20.6] | 89 | 54 | [41.5–66.0] | 29 | 19.5 | [12.3–29.5] |
 Females | 137 | 44.7 | [34.6–55.3] | 66 | 22.3 | [15.2–31.4] | 185 | 57.4 | [46.4–67.6] | 57 | 21.9 | [15.2–30.6] |
Ethnicity | ||||||||||||
 African | 133 | 41.1 | [31.7–51.2] | 60 | 20.3 | [13.4–29.5] | 160 | 56.4 | [45.6–66.7] | 56 | 21 | [15.5–27.9] |
 White | 1 | a | – | 0 | a | – | 2 | a | – | 1 | a | – |
 Mixed race | 52 | 42.5 | [29.1–57.1] | 17 | 15.9 | [7.3–31.3] | 54 | 43.4 | [31.7–55.9] | 10 | 6.5 | [3.6–11.7] |
 Indian/Asian | 17 | 54 | [26.7–79.2] | 7 | 7.3 | [2.2–21.9] | 58 | 64.1 | [28.7–88.8] | 19 | 34.5 | [12.6–65.8] |
Highest Education | ||||||||||||
 No formal schooling/Gr0–7 | 122 | 47.9 | [37.0–59.1] | 51 | 23.6 | [14.6–35.8] | 121 | 53 | [42.3–63.5] | 34 | 19.9 | [13.3–28.6] |
 Grade 8–12 (or equivalent) | 76 | 39.4 | [28.5–51.5] | 29 | 14 | [8.3–22.7] | 137 | 60.6 | [48.4–71.5] | 48 | 22.6 | [15.0–32.6] |
 Higher education | 5 | a | – | 4 | a | – | 16 | a | – | 4 | a | – |
Employed | ||||||||||||
 No | 166 | 44.9 | [35.0–55.3] | 72 | 20.2 | [13.7–28.9] | 207 | 51.7 | [41.2–62.2] | 67 | 19.9 | [14.6–26.6] |
 Yes | 37 | 34 | [21.2–49.5] | 12 | 12.2 | [5.5–24.9] | 67 | 70.2 | [57.2–80.7] | 19 | 24.9 | [12.9–42.6] |
Urban/Rural residence | ||||||||||||
 Rural | 96 | 61.5 | [51.2–70.8] | 40 | 27.6 | [17.4–40.8] | 61 | 40.3 | [29.0–52.8] | 32 | 23.5 | [16.5–32.5] |
 Urban | 107 | 32.5 | [22.6–44.1] | 44 | 13.5 | [7.8–22.4] | 213 | 64.3 | [52.4–74.7] | 54 | 19.8 | [13.3–28.6] |
Province | ||||||||||||
 Western Cape | 42 | 41.1 | [25.5–58.6] | 5 | 8 | [2.4–23.3] | 37 | 49.7 | [32.9–66.6] | 6 | 6.9 | [2.6–16.8] |
 Eastern Cape | 14 | 29.2 | [13.1–52.8] | 3 | 4 | [1.2–12.8] | 19 | 60.8 | [38.0–79.6] | 4 | 16.4 | [4.8–43.1] |
 Northern Cape | 10 | 28.6 | [11.5–55.4] | 8 | 25 | [12.1–44.5] | 20 | 51.5 | [27.6–74.7] | 4 | 15 | [7.1–29.1] |
 Free State | 15 | 34.1 | [15.5–59.3] | 6 | 20.6 | [3.1–67.7] | 29 | 69.7 | [43.4–87.3] | 1 | 5 | [0.9–23.1] |
 KwaZulu Natal | 75 | 59 | [43.8–72.7] | 44 | 29 | [18.2–42.8] | 103 | 48.9 | [32.7–65.4] | 41 | 26.9 | [18.0–38.0] |
 North West | 11 | 37.3 | [21.4–56.5] | 6 | 18.8 | [8.5–36.4] | 10 | 40.7 | [20.3–64.9] | 9 | 43.9 | [21.1–69.6] |
 Gauteng | 16 | 22.9 | [11.1–41.2] | 11 | 17.9 | [6.9–39.1] | 35 | 64.9 | [42.4–82.3] | 14 | 25.9 | [13.3–44.3] |
 Mpumalanga | 4 | a | – | 0 | a | – | 4 | a | – | 0 | a | – |
 Limpopo | 16 | 43.9 | [19.4–71.8] | 1 | 1.3 | [0.2–9.5] | 17 | 67.7 | [42.1–85.8] | 7 | 16.4 | [4.8–43.3] |
Self-reported diagnosis of diabetes | ||||||||||||
 No previous diabetes diagnosis | 152 | 41.6 | [33.1–50.6] | 62 | 17.1 | [11.3–25.1] | 214 | 52.7 | [43.2–62.0] | 69 | 22.4 | [16.6–29.5] |
 Previous diabetes diagnosis | 51 | 45.2 | [29.2–62.4] | 22 | 23 | [12.9–37.6] | 60 | 70.3 | [56.0–81.4] | 17 | 15.7 | [8.5–27.1] |
Years since last eye examination | ||||||||||||
≤ 2 years | 57 | 39.2 | [27.1–52.8] | 20 | 17 | [10.0–27.5] | 104 | 60 | [46.8–71.9] | 25 | 20.2 | [11.1–34.1] |
 3–5 years | 14 | 43.9 | [17.0–75.0] | 6 | 10.2 | [3.0–29.3] | 25 | 62.2 | [27.8–87.5] | 10 | 25.5 | [9.2–53.4] |
 > 5 years | 7 | a | – | 4 | a | – | 18 | a | – | 8 | a | – |
 Never | 125 | 44.2 | [33.8–55.1] | 54 | 19.8 | [13.0–29.1] | 127 | 51.6 | [40.3–62.8] | 43 | 18.5 | [12.8–26.0] |
Do you use eyeglasses or contact lenses to see far awayc | ||||||||||||
 Yes | 42 | 38.5 | [22.7–57.1] | 12 | 14.5 | [7.1–27.6] | 79 | 72.9 | [55.9–85.1] | 26 | 30.7 | [16.8–49.3] |
 No | 161 | 43.5 | [34.6–52.8] | 72 | 19.4 | [12.8–28.2] | 192 | 51.5 | [41.7–61.1] | 60 | 18.6 | [13.7–24.7] |
Do you use eyeglasses or contact lenses to see up closec | ||||||||||||
 Yes | 44 | 35.1 | [20.4–53.2] | 18 | 14.4 | [7.3–26.4] | 98 | 77 | [60.7–87.8] | 27 | 27.8 | [15.0–5.7] |
 No | 158 | 44.8 | [35.8–54.2] | 66 | 19.7 | [13.1–28.5] | 170 | 49.5 | [39.5–59.6] | 59 | 19.3 | [14.2–25.7] |
In the last 30 days, how difficult was it to see & recognize an object or a person you know across the road (from a distance of about 20 m)? c | ||||||||||||
 None | 114 | 39.9 | [30.5–50.1] | 45 | 17.7 | [11.5–26.2] | 150 | 56.4 | [46.1–66.3] | 42 | 17.2 | [11.3–25.2] |
 Mild | 31 | 35.6 | [21.3–53.0] | 23 | 27.1 | [14.8–44.3] | 53 | 60.6 | [40.5–77.7] | 19 | 23.9 | [14.3–37.0] |
 Moderate | 30 | 49.1 | [32.6–65.9] | 8 | 17 | [7.8–33.1] | 34 | 52.7 | [35.4–69.4] | 10 | 23.2 | [12.5–38.9] |
 Severe | 24 | 57.7 | [32.9–79.1] | 5 | 7.3 | [2.5–19.6] | 26 | 50.1 | [25.5–74.6] | 12 | 32 | [12.9–60.0] |
In the last 30 days, how difficult was it to see & recognize an object at arm’s lengthc | ||||||||||||
 None | 116 | 40.6 | [31.0–51.0] | 47 | 18 | [11.6–26.9] | 142 | 55.5 | [45.1–65.4] | 40 | 17.4 | [11.1–26.3] |
 Mild | 32 | 37 | [21.4–55.9] | 21 | 25.8 | [14.2–42.2] | 61 | 56.8 | [39.4–72.6] | 23 | 24.1 | [13.3–39.6] |
 Moderate | 29 | 47 | [31.4–63.2] | 10 | 19.8 | [9.4–37.0] | 36 | 56.5 | [38.2–73.1] | 8 | 21.4 | [11.0–37.5] |
 Severe | 22 | 53.4 | [29.3–76.0] | 3 | 5.2 | [1.5–16.1] | 25 | 56.5 | [31.0–79.0] | 12 | 31.2 | [12.9–58.2] |