title: Undercorrected refractive error in Singaporean Chinese adults: the Tanjong Pagar survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of undercorrected refractive error and associated sociodemographic factors among Singaporean Chinese adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, population-based survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Singaporean Chinese adults aged 40 to 79 years (n = 1152).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Singapore electoral register of Tanjong Pagar was used as a sampling frame, and disproportionate, stratified, clustered, random sampling was performed. There were 1717 eligible adults and 1232 (71.8%) participated. Analysis was performed among 1152 adults with complete habitual and best-corrected visual acuity data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undercorrected refractive error was defined as improvement of better eye visual acuity of at least 2 lines or more with best possible refractive correction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age- and gender-adjusted rate of undercorrected refractive error standardized directly by age and gender was 17.3% (95% confidence interval, 15.0, 19.5). Undercorrected refractive error rates were more common in older adults who had completed fewer years of education and in those who had cataract. People who did not wear spectacles tended to have poorer vision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The undercorrected refractive error rate among Singaporean Chinese is relatively common compared with data from other populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore. cofsawsm@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Gus
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gazzard
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hee
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000208:ethnology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*