Design and baseline characteristics of a population-based study of eye disease in southern Chinese people: the Dongguan Eye Study

BackgroundTo describe the study design, methodology and baseline characteristics of the Dongguan Eye Study. DesignPopulation-based, cross-sectional study ParticipantsA total of 8952 rural-dwelling residents aged 40years or older in Hengli, Dongguan. MethodsThe Dongguan Eye Study was conducted from September 2011 to February 2012. The interview covered demographic data, socio-economic status and health- and vision-related quality of life. Physical measurements included height, weight, waist and hip circumference, heart rate and blood pressure. Laboratory tests included fasting blood glucose, haemoglobin A1c, oral glucose tolerance, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid. Ophthalmic examinations included visual acuity and autorefraction testing, intraocular pressure measurement, slit-lamp examination, ocular biometry, gonioscopy, fundus photography, retinal nerve fibre layer imaging and visual field testing. Main Outcome MeasuresPrevalence and risk factors for visual impairment, blindness, eye diseases and their associations with systemic medical indicators or health-related lifestyles, as well as epidemiological data on diabetic subjects. Methodology, response rates and baseline characteristics are presented. ResultsOf the 11357 individuals eligible for the Dongguan Eye Study, 8952 (78.82%) subjects participated. All participants were self-identified Han Chinese. The average age was 54.0years, 59.9% were female, 48.4% were farmers and 77.2% had elementary or junior middle school educational levels. The average body mass index and waist-hip ratio were 24.63.9kg/m(2) and 0.9 +/- 0.2. ConclusionsData from the Dongguan Eye Study provide information concerning the prevalence, risk factors and impacts of eye diseases in rural residents undergoing urbanization in southern China.