June 2022
Volume 63, Issue 7
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2022
Differences in Serious Difficulty Seeing and Utilization of Eye Exams by Sexual Orientation (2016-2020)
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Kevin D Frick
    Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Kevin Frick None
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    Support  None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2022, Vol.63, 3384 – A0171. doi:
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      Kevin D Frick; Differences in Serious Difficulty Seeing and Utilization of Eye Exams by Sexual Orientation (2016-2020). Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2022;63(7):3384 – A0171.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : Challenges with access to some types of health care that result in health differences have been documented for individuals with sexual orientation other than straight. There is little evidence as to whether these occur in eye care and translate into vision impairment.

Methods : Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2016-2019 and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2016-2020 were used. Both surveys employ complex sampling. Analyses accounting for study design were conducted using R. In both studies sexual orientation was coded to compare those who responded straight with lesbian or gay, bisexual, or other. Only BRFSS data from Virginia and Wisconsin were used; these states included the sexual orientation and diabetes modules (including the eye exam question) each year. Respondents were asked "Are you blind or do you have serious difficulty seeing, even with glasses?" Individuals who reported diabetes were grouped into having had an eye exam in the past year and having had one longer ago or never. For vision, in the NHIS, respondents were grouped into those who indicated no trouble or a little trouble seeing even when wearing glasses and those who indicated a lot of trouble or cannot see even with glasses. Accounting for survey design, the association between sexual orientation and outcomes of interest was assessed using chi-squared tests.

Results : In Virginia (Wisconsin), among individuals indicating straight sexual orientation the prevalence of receiving an eye exam in the past year ranged from 72.2-73.8% (71.0-79.7%); these ranged from 11.5% less likely to 23.1% more likely (14.4% less likely to 8.3% more likely) than those of other sexual orientations. In Virginia (Wisconsin) among individuals indicating a straight sexual orientation, prevalence of serious difficulty seeing ranged from 3.9-4.4% (2.3-3.1%), with differences ranging from 0.1% more to 2.7% less (1.4% to 3.2% less) than those of other sexual orientation. In the NHIS, the prevalence of a lot of trouble seeing for those who indicated straight sexual orientation ranged from 1.2-1.7% and the prevalence ranged from 0.1-1.0% less than that for individuals of other sexual orientation. No p-value was ≤0.05.

Conclusions : There is no association between sexual orientation and use of timely eye exams among those with diabetes or the prevalence of serious difficulty seeing.

This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.

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