Self-reported symptoms of ocular allergy and its comorbid factors among residents living near a landfill site in Ghana

Residents close to landfill sites may be exposed to long-term emitted toxic compounds that may have effects on their eyes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptomatic ocular allergy and its comorbid factors among residents living near a landfill site in Ghana. An exploratory cross-sectional design involving 400 inhabitants living around a landfill site was employed. The prevalence of symptomatic ocular allergy was 59.3%. In a bivariate analysis, comorbid conditions including respiratory disease, coughing, flu, cholera, skin disease, diarrhoea, and hypertension predicted symptomatic ocular allergy. However, only cholera remained a significant predictor of symptomatic ocular allergy in the multivariate analysis. Symptomatic ocular allergy was high among inhabitants around the landfill site in Ghana. While proper design and management of landfills in Ghana is crucial, further longitudinal and clinical studies are required to clinically establish the link between landfill and ocular allergy.