Blindness and Visual Impairment in Jiangsu Province in 2022
This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in Jiangsu Province during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Key Findings:
- Uncorrected refractive error was the primary cause of binocular vision impairment (93.40%) and blindness (50.79%)
- Over half of young adults (18–24) were myopic
- Vision outcomes among those 50+ improved significantly compared to previous decades, with substantially lower rates of visual impairment and blindness than reported in 2006 and 2014.
This study found that awareness campaigns and policies need to intensify their efforts to control uncorrected refractive error and myopia, with a particular emphasis on well-educated students aged 18–24 years.
Reference: Wang, Hua, et al. “Prevalence and Causes of Blindness and Distance Visual Impairment in Chinese Adult Population in 2022 During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.” Scientific Reports 14.3890 (2024)
