Social and Ocular Status of Blind Students in Jordan

Abstract

A programmed ophthalmological and social study of 137 blind and visually impaired students of the Al Nur Institute in Ashrafieh and the Regional Centre for Blindness in Shmesani is described. The causes of blindness were found to be congenital in 79 percent and acquired in 21 percent of the cases. The most common causes of congenital blindness were retinitis pigmentosa (23 percent) and cataracts (17 percent). The most common causes of acquired blindness were ocular infection (15 percent) and injury (4 percent). Genetic factors were shown to be main causes of blindness: the rate of marriage between first cousins was 65 percent among the parents of the congenitally blind students, whereas the rate in the general population was only 39 percent. The average size of the families represented in the study was eight members. The average income per family was 85.32 dinars per month (U.S. $282); thus most of the families were in Jordan's lowest income group.