title: Prevalence of pterygium in indigenous Australians within central Australia: the Central Australian Ocular Health Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the prevalence of pterygium within the indigenous Australian population living in central Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinic-based cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1884 individuals living in one of 30 remote communities within the statistical local area of 'Central Australia'. This equated to 36% of those aged ≥20 years and 67% of those aged ≥40 years within this district.
  
  
  METHODS
  PARTICIPANTS aged 20 years or over were recruited as they presented to the eye clinic at each remote community. Slit-lamp examination was performed, and the presence of a pterygium or evidence of previous pterygium surgery was recorded.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of a pterygium in one or both eyes is presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pterygium was present in one or both eyes of 9.3% of individuals aged 40 years or older. Right and left eyes were affected equally (χ(2) = 0.19; P = 0.91). There was a significant association between the presence of a pterygium and age (t = 3.99; P < 0.0001). There was no association with gender (χ(2) = 1.06; P = 0.30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pterygium was present in a significantly higher proportion of indigenous Australians compared with non-indigenous Australians. This is similar to previous findings of the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program and may be due to a difference in proportion of hours spent outdoors and consequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. john.landers@bigpond.com
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landers
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011625:Pterygium / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult