Objectives: (1) To determine the prevalence and causes of blindness; (2) To analyse sociodemographic factors associated with blindness among people aged ≥ 50 years in Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study of 1407 residents aged ≥ 50 years in Ba Ria - Vung Tau (from February 2025 to February 2026), recruited by two-stage cluster sampling.
Results: The WHO-defined prevalence of bilateral blindness (better eye < count fingers 3m) was 1.8% (n = 26); low vision was 8.5%; blindness in any eye (descriptive index) was 8.4%. Cataract was the leading cause (81.5% of those blind), followed by posterior capsule opacification (12.6%) and uncorrected refractive error (10.1%); 93.3% of blind individuals had at least one preventable or treatable cause. Blindness increased with age (50-59 years old: 2.0%; 60-69 years old: 6.8%; ≥ 70 years old: 17.9% with p < 0.001) and decreased with educational level (illiterate 12.6% vs secondary-or-higher 1.9% with p < 0.01), and differed by occupation (p < 0.05), highest among outdoor workers and retirees.
Conclusions: Blindness among people aged 50 and over in Ba Ria - Vung Tau remains high, with cataract as the dominant and treatable cause; older age and low education are the main associated factors.