PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF PTERYGIUM AMONG OUTDOOR WORKERS ATTENDING AN OPHTHALMOLOGY OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/sj2f2p60Keywords:
Pterygium; Ultraviolet radiation; Outdoor workers; Occupational eye disease; Prevalence; South IndiaAbstract
Background: Pterygium is a common ocular surface disorder characterised by the fibrovascular proliferation of degenerated conjunctival tissue onto the cornea. Chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and other environmental irritants is strongly implicated in its pathogenesis, placing outdoor workers in tropical regions such as South India at heightened risk. Despite the abundant year-round sunshine of this region, occupation-specific data among outdoor workers remain limited. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of pterygium among outdoor workers attending an ophthalmology outpatient department (OPD) and to identify associated demographic and exposure-related risk factors. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 outdoor workers attending the ophthalmology OPD of a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. All participants underwent slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination for the diagnosis and grading of pterygium, and completed a structured questionnaire capturing occupational and environmental exposure. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and the independent-samples t-test, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 45.1 (SD 15.4) years; 140 (56.0%) were male. The overall prevalence of pterygium was 24.8% (62/250; 95% confidence interval [CI] 19.4–30.2%). Among affected participants, involvement was bilateral in 23, right-eyed in 22 and left-eyed in 17; severity was graded I in 22, II in 21 and III in 19. The mean duration of outdoor work was significantly greater among those with pterygium than those without (20.4 vs 17.4 years; t=2.00, p=0.046). Gender (p=0.21), dust exposure (p=0.93), protective eyewear use (p=0.95), smoking (p=0.51), age (p=0.93) and daily sun-exposure category (p=0.50) were not significantly associated with pterygium. Conclusion: Pterygium was common in this outdoor-worker population, with cumulative duration of outdoor work emerging as the principal associated factor, consistent with chronic UV and environmental exposure. Most cases were mild-to-moderate, and laterality was fairly even. Promotion of protective measures such as sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats is warranted for long-serving outdoor workers.
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