Prevalence and Potential Risk Factors of Ocular Disorders Among Institutionalised Adults With Intellectual...

To conduct a city-wide survey and investigate the risk factors of ocular disorders among institutionalised adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Taipei City.

A cross-section city-wide ophthalmic survey was conducted in Taipei City from 2016 to 2017, involving full-day residents with ID aged over 18. Participant characteristics, including age, gender, ID severity and associated diseases, were collected for multiple logistic regression analysis to identify ocular disorder risk factors.

A total of 687 participants, comprising 70.9% of the eligible individuals, were included. Refractive errors (73.8%), strabismus (32.6%), ocular hypertension (26.0%) and cataract (15.3%) were the most common ocular disorders. Myopia (73.2%) is the most common refractive error, with 14.6% being high myopia. Down's syndrome (DS) was a common risk factor for developing strabismus (OR, 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54 to 3.35), nystagmus (OR, 6.50; 95% CI, 2.22 to 19.0), high myopia (OR, 2.62; CI, 1.85 to 3.09), high astigmatism (OR, 3.06; CI, 1.65 to 5.69) and cataracts (OR, 8.00; CI, 3.50 to 18.30), while it served as a protective factor against ocular hypertension (OR, 0.14; CI, 0.03 to 0.62). Cerebral palsy (CP) was identified as a common risk factor for strabismus (OR, 2.17; CI, 1.16 to 4.05), nystagmus (OR, 4.22; CI, 1.51 to 11.8) and high myopia (OR, 2.22; CI, 1.04 to 4.73).

High prevalence of myopia, strabismus, ocular hypertension and cataract was observed in institutionalised adults with ID. DS and CP were more significant risk factors than ID severity for ocular disorders. Regular ophthalmic exams, particularly monitoring intraocular pressure, are crucial for this population.