Abstract
Purpose :
To estimate the burden of and to evaluate the factors associated with undetected eye disease (UED) among a population-based sample of African American adults ≥ 40 years of age.
Methods :
Data for these analyses were extracted from the African American Eye Disease Study (AFEDS), a population-based study of adult African Americans, aged 40 years and older, residing in and around the city of Inglewood (Los Angeles County, California). All participants underwent a detailed home interview and a comprehensive eye examination, including an assessment of ocular conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, ocular hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and refractive error. Participants with any eye disease (N = 3500) were included in these analyses, and the prevalence of UEDs was calculated. Chi-square test analyses were used to evaluate bivariate associations between risk indicators and any UED. The independent association with UED and the predisposing, enabling, need and health behavior characteristics was explored using multiple logistic regression analysis. Standardized β coefficients were used to determine the relative contributory effect of each independent factor on the presence of UED.
Results :
Of the 7957 eligible participants in the AFEDS, 6347 (80%) completed both the in-home interview and the clinical examination. Fifty-five percent (3500 of 6347) of the participants had eye disease. Twenty-six percent (914 of 3500) of them had undetected eye disease. The primary undetected eye diseases included diabetic retinopathy (75.1%), cataracts (60.8%), refractive error (55.0%), ocular hypertension (33.3%), open-angle glaucoma (16.5%), and AMD (7.5%). The major risk factors for UED included having diabetes mellitus odds ratio (OR): 4.1, never having had an eye examination (OR: 2.4), having had an eye examination more than 5 years ago (OR: 2.2), lower educational attainment (OR: 2.0), having poor or very poor general vision (OR: 1.7), and trouble getting glasses (OR: 1.6).
Conclusions :
These findings provide evidence of the significant burden of UED among African Americans. Interventions that address the modifiable risk factors (e.g., trouble getting glasses, never having had an eye examination) may improve detection of eye disease and decrease the burden of visual impairment in this high-risk minority population.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.