Nonmetro residence and impaired vision among elderly Americans.
OBJECTIVE
Nonmetro and metro elderly people are contrasted in their risk of having (relative to lacking) an impairment in distance vision and in near vision.


METHODS
Using the 1995-1996 panel (Wave 2) of the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Survey, the prevalence of 5 eye-threatening conditions (cardiovascular disease, cataract, diabetes, glaucoma, and hypertension), a variety of medical treatments for these conditions, the number of talks/visits with doctors in the 2 years before Wave 2, and several relevant demographic characteristics of the 6,817 respondents were controlled.


RESULTS
Nonmetro and metro elders have the same risk of impairment in distance vision. After controlling for other factors, nonmetro elders have a higher risk than their metro peers of an uncorrected impairment in near vision (probably presbyopia).


CONCLUSIONS
Nonmetro elders may confront more impediments to updating their corrective lenses for presbyopia. Implications for public health policy are discussed.
Johnson
Nan E
NE
Department of Sociology, Agricultural Experiment Station, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1111, USA. Nan.Johnson@ssc.msu.edu
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*