TY  - JOUR
TI  - Visual Impairments Among Immigrants Livingin Northeast Turkey and Their Ocular FindingDifferences Compared to the Local Population
AB  - Objective: This study aims to evaluate the existing eye pathologies of immigrant patients due to visual impairment and tocompare them with the local population. Materials and Methods: Between November 2018 and August 2019, a total of 150 participants among immigrants and440 participants among local people were included in the study. Analysis of disease prevalence was calculated as a ratio ofthe total cohort screened with available data. The average, standard deviation, percentage, and minimum and maximumvalues of the data were calculated. Results: Of the 590 patients in the study, 440 were from the local population and 150 were immigrants comprising 90Afghans and 60 Meskhetian Turks. The rate of the patients wearing glasses at presentation was higher in the local populationthan among the immigrant patients (p<0.001). The number of uncorrected refractive errors was significantly higher in immi grants than in the local population (p<0.001). The proportion of patients who stated that they had an eye examination forthe 1st time was significantly higher among the immigrant patients (p<0.001). Infectious conjunctivitis, keratitis, and cataractwere significantly higher among the Afghan patients (p<0.001). In the Afghan patients and local population, the history ofocular trauma was significantly higher compared to the Meskhetian Turks (p<0.001). In the Afghan patients, the presence ofa corneal or conjunctival foreign body was significantly higher than in the other groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Ocular disorders, such as cataracts and associated legal blindness, infectious eye diseases, and uncorrectedrefractive error can be seen more in immigrants. To remedy this situation, there are many steps that all of the countries musttake for these individuals to access the necessary health care.
AU  - TAŞLI, Nurdan Gamze
AU  - UĞURLU, ADEM
AU  - içel, erel
AU  - UÇAK, Turgay
DO  - 10.14744/etd.2020.39018
PY  - 2021
JO  - Erciyes Medical Journal
VL  - 43
IS  - 4
SN  - 2149-2247
SP  - 366
EP  - 372
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/490550
ER  -