Prevalence, pattern and factors associated with ocular morbidity among stone quarry workers in the districts of Kampala and Mukono, Uganda

Abstract

Background: Stone quarry workers in Uganda are at increased risk of developing ocular morbidity as a result of their occupation, which could result in irreversible visual loss. With limited published studies among stone quarry workers in low-resource settings, we sought to determine the prevalence, pattern, and associated factors of ocular morbidity among stone quarry workers in Kampala and Mukono, Uganda.

Methods: In a field-based cross-sectional study, we recruited 290 stone quarry workers. Consecutive sampling coupled with simple random sampling was performed to select the study participants, and a pretested questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on patient history and ocular examination findings. The proportion of stone quarry workers with ocular morbidity (defined as any abnormal finding on eye examination) was determined. The associated factors were assessed using logistic regression to obtain odds ratios with their corresponding P values and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 35 years (SD +/-12). The prevalence of ocular morbidity was found to be as high as 80%. The common ocular disorders found included pinguecula (111, 38.2%), pterygium (99, 34.1%), presbyopia (82, 28.2%), conjunctival hyperpigmentation (60, 20.6%), and dry eye (28, 9.6%). There was a statistically significant relationship between ocular morbidity and the following factors: age over 40 years (aPR = 0.668 [CI = 0.544 – 0.822], p= 0.000), type of work engaged at the quarry (breakers and crushers) (aPR = 0.821 [CI = 0.714 – 0.945], p = 0.006), duration of 5 years and greater working at the quarry (aPR = 0.854 [CI = 0.783 – 0.932], p = 0.000), inconsistent usage of protective eyewear (aPR = 1.114 [CI = 1.008 – 1.231], p = 0.035) and no observation of any workmate suffering vision-threatening eye injuries (aPR = 0.808 [CI = 0.690 – 0.946], p = 0.008).

Conclusion: The prevalence of ocular morbidity was very high at 80%, with the most common morbidities being conjunctival disorders, presbyopia, and dry eye. The associated factors included age, type of work performed at the quarry, duration of working at the quarry, use of protective eyewear, and lack of observation of any workmate suffering vision-threatening eye injuries.