Eye and adnexa hospitalization in Australia: An ecological study

Abstract

To investigate the trends of hospital admissions concerning diseases of the eye and adnexa in Australia in the past 2 decades. This is a descriptive ecological study on the population level that examined hospitalization data for the duration between 1998 and 2021 in Australia. Hospitalization data were extracted from the National Hospital Morbidity Database. The chi-squared test was utilized to assess the difference in admission rates between the years 1998 and 2021. Hospital admission rate for diseases of the eye and adnexa increased by 1.20-fold (from 852.32 [95% confidence interval [CI] 848.16–856.47] in 1998 to 1873.72 [95% CI 1868.48–1878.96] in 2021 per 100,000 persons, P < .01). The most common cause of hospitalization for diseases of the eye and adnexa was disorders of the lens (65.7%), followed by disorders of the choroid and retina (15.6%), followed by disorders of the eyelid, lacrimal system, and orbit (7.7%). Hospital admission rate among males increased by 1.25-fold (from 737.67 [95% CI 732.18–743.16] in 1998 to 1657.19 [95% CI 1650.19–1664.20] in 2021 per 100,000 persons). Hospital admission rate among females increased less sharply by 1.03-fold (from 965.37 [95% CI 959.14–971.59] in 1998 to 1964.35 [95% CI 1956.80–1971.90] in 2021 per 100,000 persons). There are clear gender and age roles in the epidemiology of hospital admissions related to eye and adnexa disorders. Lens disorders were the most common cause of hospital admission. The admission rate increase during the past decades could be due to increases in life expectancy, lifestyle changes, and improvements in screening protocols.