Causes of visual impairment and common eye problems in Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives.
OBJECTIVE
Little information exists regarding the causes of visual impairment and the most common eye problems in American Indians/Alaska Natives.


METHODS
We randomly sampled American Indians/Alaska Natives older than 40 years from 3 tribes within the Northwest region.


RESULTS
We found a higher prevalence of visual impairment and normal-tension glaucoma, as well as a lower prevalence of ocular hypertension, in American Indians/Alaska Natives compared with previous results in other racial/ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
American Indians/Alaska Natives have a need for vision correction. Future interventions in American Indians/Alaska Natives should include providing spectacles for refractive error, detecting glaucoma, and preventing visual impairment from age-related maculopathy and cataracts.
Mansberger
Steven L
SL
Devers Eye Institute/Discoveries in Sight at Legacy Health System, Portland, OR 97210, USA. smansberger@discoveriesinsight.org
Romero
Francine C
FC
Smith
Nicole H
NH
Johnson
Chris A
CA
Cioffi
George A
GA
Edmunds
Beth
B
Choi
Dongseok
D
Becker
Thomas M
TM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology