Research into Glaucoma and Ethnicity (ReGAE) 8: is there a relationship between social deprivation and acute primary angle closure?
OBJECTIVE
Social deprivation as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and Townsend scores has been shown to be associated with advanced presentation of primary open angle glaucoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative association of social deprivation as a risk factor for acute primary angle closure (APAC) in a UK urban population.


METHODS
Case notes of 139 consecutive patients presenting with APAC at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK, were examined. Deprivation was scored using the IMD 2004 and Townsend scores. These score were compared with the West Midlands reference population.


RESULTS
The level of deprivation in patients with APAC was graded according to the IMD quintiles, in which quintile 1 represents the highest level of deprivation and quintile 5 represents the lowest level of deprivation. Of the patients studied, 66.1% (n=90) were from quintiles 1 or 2 (most deprived) whereas 9% (n=12) came from quintile 5 (least deprived), compared with predicted frequencies of 40% and 20%, respectively. Deprivation levels measured by frequency within each IMD quintile were significantly higher in the APAC group compared with the reference population (χ(2), p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In this population patients presenting with APAC were more likely to come from areas with a high level of social deprivation.
Nessim
Maged
M
Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham, UK.
Denniston
Alastair Keith
AK
Nolan
Winifred
W
Holder
Roger
R
Shah
Peter
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health