Table II.
Health factors of the surveyed PWA and the non-PWA reference group
| Variable | PWA (N = 50) |
Non-PWA reference group (N = 99) |
X2-test (P value) | Odds ratio (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | |||
| Self-rated general health status | 2.03 (.36) | |||
| Poor | 7 (14%) | 9 (9%) | ||
| Average | 39 (78%) | 86 (87%) | ||
| Excellent | 4 (8%) | 4 (4%) | ||
| Self-rated access to health care | 6.53 (.04) | |||
| Poor | 13 (26%) | 11 (11%) | 2.72 (1.11-6.62) | |
| Average | 30 (60%) | 76 (79%) | ||
| Excellent | 7 (14%) | 9 (9%) | ||
| HIV status | 0.004 (.95) | |||
| Positive | 10 (20%) | 20 (20%) | ||
| Negative | 39 (78%) | 76 (77%) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (2%) | 3 (3%) | ||
| Number of visits to a physician in the past year | ||||
| None | 6 (12%) | 16 (16%) | 0.92 (.63) | |
| 1 to 3 | 27 (54%) | 45 (46%) | ||
| 4 or more | 17 (34%) | 36 (37%) | ||
| Has visited a traditional healer | 0.21 (.65) | |||
| Yes | 3 (6%) | 8 (8%) | ||
| No | 47 (94%) | 91 (92%) | ||
| Has been examined by a dermatologist | 43.75 (<.0001) | |||
| Yes | 43 (86%) | 28 (29%) | 15.36 (6.1-38.2) | |
| No | 7 (14%) | 70 (71%) | ||
| Frequency of visits to a dermatologist | 3.68 (.16) | |||
| Once | 7 (16%) | 7 (26%) | ||
| Every 1-2 years | 2 (5%) | 4 (15%) | ||
| Every 3-9 months | 34 (79%) | 16 (59%) | ||
| Has had eyes examined | 5.20 (.02) | |||
| Yes | 46 (92%) | 76 (77%) | 3.48 (1.13-10.7) | |
| No | 4 (8%) | 23 (23%) | ||
| Frequency of eye examinations | 1.36 (.51) | |||
| Once | 22 (49%) | 28 (39%) | ||
| Every 1-2 years | 18 (40%) | 32 (44%) | ||
| A few times a year | 5 (11%) | 12 (17%) | ||
| Has a visual defect that requires refractive lenses | 1.62 (.20) | |||
| Yes | 29 (58%) | 46 (47%) | 1.56 (0.78-3.10) | |
| No | 21 (42%) | 52 (53%) | ||
| Unable to acquire needed spectacles | 29.61 (<.0001) | |||
| Yes | 34 (68%) | 22 (26%) | ||
| No | 11 (22%) | 63 (74%) | 8.85 (3.83-20.4) | |
| Able to access free spectacles | 6.77 (.009) | |||
| Yes | 8 (28%) | 4 (7%) | ||
| No | 21 (72%) | 53 (93%) | ||
| Self-rated level of understanding of albinism | 23.04 (<.0001) | |||
| Poor | 5 (10%) | 36 (37%) | ||
| Average | 33 (66%) | 59 (60%) | ||
| Excellent | 12 (24%) | 3 (3%) | ||
| Beliefs on the cause of albinism | 5.08 (.08) | |||
| Genetic disorder | 36 (73%) | 75 (78%) | ||
| Transmittable medical disease | 6 (12%) | 17 (18%) | ||
| Other | 7 (14%) | 4 (4%) |
CI, Confidence interval; non-PWA, patients without albinism; PWA, people living with albinism.