Abstract
Purpose :
Vision loss is a major public health problem in the United States. Eye diseases and injuries cause suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life for millions of people. Regular use of eye care services can help to diagnose eye diseases on their early treatable stages and prevent vision loss.
Methods :
Data on adults aged 18 years and older were obtained from the 2019-2022 National Health Interview Survey. To determine factors associated with visual impairment, use of eye care services and vision health insurance were analyzed by selected socio-demographic covariates and diabetes status, using SUDAAN to account for the complex survey design.
Results :
In 2022, the prevalence of reported visual impairment and blindness among adults aged 18 years and older was 17.6%. Females, persons who had diagnosed diabetes, and those who were born outside US were more likely to have difficulty seeing or being unable to see at all, even when wearing eyeglasses, compared to their respective counterparts.
About 49.1% of adults 18 years and older had an eye exam from an eye specialist such as an ophthalmologist or an optometrist during the preceding year, and 60.6% of adults wore eyeglasses or contact lenses in 2022. Eye exam rate decreased from 52.5% in 2019 to 44.7% in 2020, and then increased to 49.1% in 2022. Females were more likely than males to have an eye exam and wear eyeglasses in 2022. About 46.3% of persons reported that their health plan paid for routine vision care, such as glasses and contact lenses, and 28.8% of adults had a separate plan for vision services in 2022. There were no significant changes for visual impairment and vision health insurance measures between 2019 and 2022.
Significant disparities were found among race/ethnicity, income, education attainment and age groups. The lack of health insurance and low family income were associated with visual impairment and under-use of eye care services.
Conclusions :
These findings summarize recent data on adult vision health and highlight areas of success and challenges in eye care services use on a national level.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.