Abstract
Purpose :
Visual impairment encompasses conditions of low vision such as blurry vision not improved with refractive correction and blindness. Individuals with visual impairment may experience functional difficulties which may increase the public health burden of visual impairment. This project used American Community Survey (ACS) data to examine the relationship between visual impairment and functional difficulties in California (CA) on the Medical Service Study Area (MSSA) level.
Methods :
Using the 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates from the U.S. census, data were obtained for visual impairment and functional difficulties with hearing, cognition, ambulation, self-care, and independent living. The prevalence of visual impairment and each functional difficulty was calculated for each MSSA as the number of residents experiencing visual impairment or each health-related difficulty, respectively, per 100 residents. Linear regression models adjusted for ethnicity, gender, age, poverty status, urbanity of residence location, and access to health insurance were performed to estimate the association between visual impairment and each functional difficulty on the MSSA level, both for the population ≥18 years and again for the population ≥65 years.
Results :
The study population included 30,231,767 individuals ≥18 years old and 5,478,957 individuals ≥65 years old in 542 MSSAs in CA. The prevalence of visual impairment was 709,353 (2.3%) in the population ≥18 years and 336,948 (6.1%) in the population ≥65 years. On the MSSA level, vision impairment was associated with increased prevalence of all functional difficulties in both populations, with the strongest associations for ambulatory difficulty. In the population ≥18 years, each 1% increase in the prevalence of visual impairment was associated with a 0.98±0.081% (slope estimate ± standard error) adjusted increase in the prevalence of ambulatory difficulty. In the population ≥65 years, each 1% increase in visual impairment was associated with a 1.08±0.080% adjusted increase in the prevalence of ambulatory difficulty.
Conclusions :
In the 2015-2019 CA ACS population, higher prevalence of visual impairment was associated with higher prevalence of all examined functional difficulties on the MSSA level. Further investigation is needed on strategies to maximize functional health in those with visual impairment.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.