The study was done to report 15-year incidence rate and associated risk factors of pterygium among people aged 30 years and above at baseline in the rural clusters of longitudinal APEDS III.
2290 participants were included in the study. The incidence rate of pterygium was defined as the proportion of people free of pterygium at baseline who had developed the condition at 15-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariable analyses for risk factors were undertaken.
The sex-adjusted incidence rate of pterygium was 25.2 per 100 person-years which was significantly higher for men than women. At the multivariable analysis, male gender (RR: 1.35, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.83), no formal education (RR: 2.46, 95% CI 1.22 to 4.93), outdoor occupation (RR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.9) and lower BMI (<18.5) (RR: 1.25, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.55) were associated with increased risk of pterygium.
The study concluded that the incidence rate of pterygium was high in this rural population, especially in men and those engaged in outdoor activities, lack of formal education and with lower BMI. It is likely that greater exposure to ultraviolet light is a major contributing factor, thus warranting preventive strategies.
Reference: https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/30/bjophthalmol-2020-316359
