Near visual impairment and its associated factors among adult diabetic patients at Adare General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

Good near-visual acuity is essential for the independent administration of insulin and monitoring of diabetes. Older individuals with diabetes often experience a significant rate of near-visual impairment, which can impact their future functional status and quality of life. Despite this, there is limited evidence regarding the prevalence of near-visual impairment and its associated factors in Africa, including Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of near visual impairment among adult diabetic patients attending the diabetic care clinic of Adare General Hospital in southern Ethiopia, 2023. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 503 adult diabetic patients at Adare General Hospital in southern Ethiopia from April 23 to June 8, 2023. Systematic random sampling was employed to select the participants for the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, medical record reviews, and eye examinations. To identify potential factors associated with near visual impairment, binary logistic regression was performed. The strength of the associations was expressed as adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval. A variable with a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of NVI was 75% (95%CI: 71.1-78.7). Age greater than 65 years (AOR = 5.38, 95% CI: 2.00-14.48), being married (AOR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.01-8.34), diabetes duration of ≥ 7 years (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.31-4.52), hypertension (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.02-4.21), distance visual impairment (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI: 1.35-9.55), and diabetic retinopathy (AOR = 7.46, 95% CI: 3.06-18.19) were positively associated with near visual impairment. This study revealed a high prevalence of near visual impairment among adult diabetic patients, significantly associated with older age, marital status, longer duration of diabetes, hypertension, distance visual impairment, and diabetic retinopathy. Routine near vision screening and timely optical correction should be considered as part of comprehensive diabetic care.