Abstract
Purpose :
To assess the proportion of individuals reporting mobility limitations with and without vision impairment (VI) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Methods :
Data from each of the 50 states were extracted from the 2015 BRFSS dataset. Self-report of difficulty seeing with or without glasses was used to categorize VI vs non-VI. Self-report of serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs was used to categorize those with mobility limitations vs those without. The proportion of those reporting mobility limitations was calculated for the VI and non-VI cohorts for each state. To assess the magnitude of any differences between the two populations, the ratio of limited mobility in the VI vs non-VI population was calculated for each state.
Results :
The rate of mobility limitations in the non-VI population ranged from 7% (Hawaii) to 16% (West Virginia). The rate of mobility limitations in the VI population was higher than in the non-VI population in all 50 states, ranging from 23% (Vermont) to 59% (North Dakota). The range in the ratio of mobility limitations in the VI vs the non-VI population ranged from 2.4 (Louisiana) to 7.4 (North Dakota).
Conclusions :
The BRFSS demonstrates a considerably higher rate of mobility limitations in the VI vs non-VI cohorts. This is consistent with higher risk of falls and fall-related injuries in the VI population. The magnitude of the mobility difference between the VI vs non-VI cohort demonstrates wide geographic variability, indicating a potential greater need for intervention strategies in states where mobility limitations in the VI population is highest.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.