Abstract
Purpose: :
This retrospective record review was conducted to investigate the prevalence of refractive errors in a Polish immigrant population residing in an urban environment. Illinois has over one million people of Polish descent as citizens, and Chicago is considered to have the second largest population of Polish descent in the world, outside of Warsaw, Poland.
Methods: :
Six hundred and seventy-five records (271 male/404 female) of Polish immigrants were reviewed from a practice with over 92% Polish immigrants in the patient base. The patients ranged in age from three to ninety-four years old. Refractive status for each eye, as well as the existence of any strabismus or amblyopia, was recorded.
Results: :
The prevalence of myopia (spherical equivalent ≥ -0.75 D) was found to be 35.1%, while the prevalence of hyperopia (spherical equivalent ≥ +0.75 D) was 38.4%. 15% of the patients exhibited astigmatism ≥ 1.00 D . Amblyopia was present in 9% of the patients, while the prevalence of strabismus was found to be 3%, with 76% of the strabismics exhibiting esotropia. In the 0-18 year age range, and the 19-45 year age range, the highest percent of patients had low myopia (-0.75 to -2.99 D), while in the patients over 45 years of age, the highest percent of patients had low hyperopia (+0.75 to +1.99 D).
Conclusions: :
Refractive error data are presented for a population base which has not been previously reported, yet Polish Americans comprise 4% of the United States population. Age of subjects along with distribution and magnitude of refractive error will be presented.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • refraction • amblyopia