title: Predicting glaucoma diagnosis in an elderly sample: revisiting the established populations for epidemiologic studies of the elderly.
abstract: Though research has examined race as an important factor in defining the scope of glaucoma in the United States, further exploration into other specific factors may help inform the design of preventive services to decrease rates of blindness due to glaucoma among minority groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined glaucoma diagnosis among a sample of elderly patients from the North Carolina Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caucasians without diabetes are more likely to have a glaucoma diagnosis. In contrast, having diabetes was a marginally significant predictor of a glaucoma diagnosis among African American study participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying individual-level characteristics and different service-level issues that underlie specific ethnic groups may help to develop more precisely targeted interventions to improve a full range of health care services for elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA. dhoward@mmc.edu
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Mimi M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M Elizabeth
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hartnett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American