TY  - GEN
AU  - Van Newkirk, Mylan R.
AU  - Weih, LeAnn M.
AU  - McCarty, Catherine A.
AU  - Taylor, Hugh R.
Y2  - 2014/05/22
Y1  - 2001
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/11343/33460
AB  - Purpose: To study the cause-specific prevalence of eye diseases causing bilateral visual impairment in Australian adults.
                        
                    Design: Two-site, population-based cross-sectional study.
                        
                    Participants: Participants were aged 40 years and older and resident in their homes at the time of recruitment for the study. The study was conducted during 1992 through 1996.
                        
                    Methods: The study uses a cluster stratified random sample of 4744 participants from two cohorts, urban, and rural Victoria. Participants completed a standardized interview and eye examination, including presenting and best-corrected visual acuity, visual fields, and dilated ocular examination. The major cause of vision loss was identified for all participants found to be visually impaired. Population-based prevalence estimates are weighted to reflect the age and gender distribution of the two cohorts in Victoria.
                        
                    Main Outcome Measures: Visual impairment was defined by four levels of severity on the basis of best-corrected visual acuity or visual field: <6/18 ≥6/60 and/or <20° ≥10° radius field, moderate vision impairment; severe vision impairment, <6/60 ≥3/60 and/or <10° ≥5° radius field; and profound vision impairment <3/60 and/or <5° radius field. In addition, less-than-legal driving vision, <6/12 ≥6/18, and/or homonymous hemianopia were defined as mild vision impairment. In Australia, legal blindness includes severe and profound vision impairment.
                        
                    Results: The population-weighted prevalence of diseases causing less-than-legal driving or worse impairment in the better eye was 42.48/1000 (95% confidence interval [CI), 30.11,54.86). Uncorrected refractive error was the most frequent cause of bilateral vision impairment, 24.68/1000 (95% CI, 16.12, 33.25), followed by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), 3.86/1000 (95% CI, 2.17,5.55); other retinal diseases, 2.91/1000 (95% CI, 0.74, 5.08); other disorders, 2.80/1000 (95% CI, 1.17,4.43); cataract, 2.57/1000 (95% CI, 1.38, 3.76); glaucoma, 2.32/1000 (95% CI, 0.72, 3.92); neuro-ophthalmic disorders, 1.80/1000 (95% CI, 0, 4.11); and diabetic retinopathy, 1.53/1000 (95% CI, 0.71,2.36). The prevalence of legal blindness was 5.30/1000 (95% CI, 3.24, 7.36). Although not significantly different, the causes of legal blindness were uncorrected refractive errors, AMD, glaucoma, other retinal conditions, and other diseases.
                        
                    Conclusions: Significant reduction of visual impairment may be attained with the application of current knowledge in refractive errors, diabetes mellitus, cataract, and glaucoma. Although easily preventable, uncorrected refractive error remains a major cause of vision impairment.
N1  - application/pdf
LA  - eng
PB  - Elsevier (Initially -American Academy of Ophthalmology)
KW  - CERA
KW  - ophthalmology
KW  - Centre for Eye Research Australia
KW  - eye research
KW  - vision
KW  - visual health
T1  - Cause-specific prevalence of bilateral visual impairment in Victoria, Australia: the Visual Impairment Project
IS  - Ophthalmology
VL  - 108
SP  - 960-967
L1  - /bitstream/handle/11343/33460/65552_00002608_01_causes~1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=n
ER  -