Clinic-based prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors and associated visual impairment: a nationwide cross-sectional study of 3.6 million outpatients in Mexico

TL;DR

This study finds that 26.5% of 3.6 million outpatients in Mexico have uncorrected refractive errors, with significant regional and age-related variations, highlighting the need for better eye care access.

Contribution

The study provides the first comprehensive national assessment of uncorrected refractive errors and related visual impairment in Mexico using a large outpatient sample.

Findings

The national clinic-based prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors was 26.5%.

Baja California Sur had the highest URE prevalence at 43.8% among males aged 40–49 years.

URE-related visual impairment affected 0.89% of the population, with the highest rates in Hidalgo state and among those over 80 years.

Abstract

Uncorrected refractive errors (UREs) are the predominant cause of vision impairment and blindness worldwide, despite the availability of eyeglasses as a cost-effective intervention. Sociocultural factors, including restricted access to healthcare and inadequate self-care education, exacerbate the burden of UREs. There is a paucity of studies evaluating UREs in Mexico with comprehensive national coverage across various age groups. This clinic-based study aimed to assess the profile of UREs and associated visual impairment (VI) in Mexico using a substantial sample of individuals seeking care at a large nationwide outpatient network.

We evaluated UREs and URE-related VI by analyzing eye examination data from 3.6 million outpatients who attended Salud Digna clinics in 2024.

The national clinic-based prevalence of UREs was 26.5% (980,718 affected individuals, 95% CI:26.5%-26.59%), highest in Baja California Sur state (6,515 affected individuals, 43.8%, 95% CI:42.99%-44.59%), among males aged 40–49 years (71,002 affected individuals, 34.1%, 95% CI:33.91%-34.32%), and females under 10 years (17,132 affected individuals, 32.3%, 95% CI:31.88%-32.67%). Clinic-based prevalence of uncorrected astigmatism, uncorrected hyperopia, uncorrected hyperopia-astigmatism, uncorrected myopia, and uncorrected myopia-astigmatism were 1.3% (48,978 affected individuals, 95% CI:1.31%-1.34%), 10.2% (376,701 affected individuals, 95% CI:10.16%-10.23%), 1.7% (61,171 affected individuals, 95% CI:1.64%-1.67%), 6.4% (235,285 affected individuals, 95% CI:6.34%-6.39%), and 7% (258,583 affected individuals, 95% CI:6.97%-7.02%), with highest rates in Tlaxcala (444 affected individuals, 3.9%, 95% CI:3.54%-4.26%), Tabasco (10,235 affected individuals, 20%, 95% CI:19.66%-20.35%), Baja California Sur (673 affected individuals, 4.5%, 95% CI:4.2%-4.87%), Zacatecas (3,149 affected individuals, 10.2%, 95% CI:9.85%-10.52%), and Tlaxcala (1,504 affected individuals, 13.17%, 95% CI:12.55%-13.8%).

The national URE-related VI clinic-based prevalence was 0.89% (32,962 affected individuals, 95% CI:0.88%-0.9%), highest in Hidalgo state (527 affected individuals, 1.8%, 95% CI:1.63%-1.93%) and among those over 80 years (1,457 affected males, 6%, 95% CI:5.97%-6.59%; 2,206 affected females, 5.8%, 5.83%-6.33%). The national clinic-based prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe visual impairment was 0.62% (22,858 affected individuals, 95% CI:0.61%-0.63%), 0.26% (9,683, 95% CI:0.26%-0.27%), and 0.01% (421 affected individuals, 95% CI:0.01%-0.01%).

This outpatient-based study highlights the clinic-based prevalence of UREs and related VI in Mexico, emphasizing the need for improved access to eye care services.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-26598-9.

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