title: Seven-year incidence of uncorrected refractive error among an elderly Chinese population in Shihpai, Taiwan: The Shihpai Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the 7-year incidence of uncorrected refractive error in a metropolitan Chinese elderly population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Shihpai Eye Study 2006 included 460/824 (55.8%) subjects (age range 72-94 years old) of 1361 participants in the 1999 baseline survey for a follow-up eye examination. Visual acuity was assessed using a Snellen chart, uncorrected refractive error was defined as presenting visual acuity (naked eye if without spectacles and with distance spectacles if worn) in the better eye of <6/12 that improved to no impairment (≥6/12) after refractive correction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 7-year incidence of uncorrected refractive error was 10.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.6-13.4%). 92.7% of participants with uncorrection and 77.8% with undercorrection were able to improve at least two lines of visual acuity by refractive correction. In multivariate analysis controlling for covariates, uncorrected refractive error was significantly related to myopia (relative risk (RR): 3.15; 95% CI: 1.31-7.58) and living alone (RR: 2.94; 95% CI 1.14-7.53), whereas distance spectacles worn during examination was protective (RR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.14-0.88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicated that the incidence of uncorrected refractive error was high (10.5%) in this elderly Chinese population. Living alone and myopia are predisposing factors, whereas wearing distance spectacles at examination is protective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center and Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T-M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C J-L
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Research Center and Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000295:instrumentation; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology