Epidemiology of Ocular Trauma in the Elderly: A Population-Based Study

To determine the prevalence of different types of ocular trauma and their relationship with some factors in the elderly population.

The present population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on the elderly population aged 60 years and above in Tehran, Iran, using multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling in 2019. After selecting the samples and their participation in the study, demographic information and history of ocular trauma were obtained through an interview. Psychological evaluation was performed using the Goldberg's 28-question General Health Questionnaire. All study participants underwent optometric and ophthalmological examinations.

Three thousand three hundred and ten people participated in the study (response rate: 87.3%). Of these, 1912 individuals (57.8%) were female and the mean age of individuals was 68.25 ± 6.55 (from 60 to 97) years. 7.46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.51-8.41) of the study participants reported a history of ocular trauma. Blunt and chemical traumas were the most and the least common types of ocular trauma, respectively (5.72% and 0.16%). 3.93% of cases visited an ophthalmologist for ocular trauma, 1.67% reported a history of hospitalization, and 1.47% underwent surgery. The prevalence of visual impairment in individuals with a history of ocular trauma was 12.53%. Visual impairment was more prevalent in people with a history of ocular trauma than those without a history of ocular trauma (P < 0.05). History of ocular trauma was only significantly related to low education level (odds ratio = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.40-0.99). Participants with a history of ocular trauma had more anxiety and higher mean psychological distress score than those without a history of ocular trauma (P = 0.035).

The development of preventive programs against the occurrence of ocular trauma can play an important role in reducing the psychological damage of affected patients while reducing visual disorders. These interventions should be especially considered in groups with a lower education level.