Abstract
Purpose :
Homelessness currently impacts 3.5 million Americans and costs the U.S. economy two trillion dollars annually. Homelessness is strongly associated with various comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and depression. However, our understanding of homelessness’ impact on vision is limited. Vision is of specific importance due to its central role in maintaining individuals’ quality of life and day-to-day functioning. In this study, we survey and record exam findings from over 150 homeless participants who presented to the Healthcare for the Homeless Eye Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.
Methods :
We surveyed over 150 homeless participants who presented for general ophthalmic examinations at Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore, Maryland. Surveys collected information regarding vision related quality of life, past medical history, living conditions, and medical diagnoses. Surveys were offered in both Spanish and English.
Results :
Our captured population was mostly composed of Blacks (49%) or Hispanics/Latinos (38%). We also captured a small number of Caucasians (10%). The most common self-reported vision problems were blurry vision (70%), wanting glasses (51%), eye pain (27%), and dryness (27%). The most frequent ocular diagnoses were refractive error (77%), cataracts (36%), glaucoma/glaucoma suspect (24%), and dry eye (23%). Fourty-four% of participants were referred for further subspecialty ophthalmic care. Black patients were significantly older than Hispanic/Latino patients, predominantly male (63%), and had greater incidence of glaucoma and cataracts. In contrast, Hispanic/Latino patients were younger, predominantly female (66%), and more likely to be diagnosed with dry eye, allergies, and other corneal diseases.
Conclusions :
In this study, we characterized the ophthalmic needs of a homeless population in Baltimore, Maryland. Within this population, we identified differences between the demographic characterization and ophthalmic needs of Black and Hispanic/Latino subpopulations experiencing homelessness. Overall, our data emphasizes that homelessness is a complex social factor with various subpopulations requiring unique ophthalmic considerations.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.