title: Socioeconomic deprivation and serious ocular trauma in Scotland: a national prospective study.
abstract: To identify the population at risk of serious ocular trauma by exploring relationships with socioeconomic factors.
  
  
  
  National, prospective, population-based, cross-sectional and follow-up study.
  
  
  
  Patients with serious ocular trauma requiring hospital admission in Scotland.
  
  
  
  Case definition and ascertainment-cases of serious ocular trauma necessitating admission to hospital under the care of a consultant ophthalmologist were identified using the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit reporting scheme. Using the postcode of residence, we assigned a Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) score, SIMD quintile ( 0%-20% most deprived; 20%-40%, 40%-60%, 60%-80%, 80%-100% least deprived areas), geographical access score as well as the estimated travel time to the nearest general practitioner (GP) practice using either car or public transport for each patient. Population estimates were obtained from the General Register Office for Scotland.
  
  
  
  Serious ocular trauma requiring hospital admission.
  
  
  
  A total of 104 patients (85.6% male) were reported as being admitted with ocular trauma with a median age of 32 years (IQR 24-54). There was a trend for increasing incidence of serious ocular injury with increasing socioeconomic deprivation (p=0.034). Patients from the most deprived areas (SIMD: 0%-20%) were twice as likely to sustain ocular injury compared with those from the least deprived (SIMD: 80%-100%) areas (relative risk: 2.19, 95% CI 1.02 to 4.81). There was no significant difference in the drive/public transport time to GP practices across the SIMD quintiles.
  
  
  
  Increasing socioeconomic deprivation was associated with a higher incidence of serious ocular injury. Targeted interventions are needed to address inequality in eye healthcare in deprived areas.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0631-8891
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Low
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodson
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Eye Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Parul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacEwen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Public health; Trauma