EYE DISEASE, DISABILITY AND MORTALITY RISK IN US ADULTS

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DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) Visual impairment (VI) and disabling eye diseases in adults can lead to serious consequences, including social isolation, cognitive impairment, impaired functional status, increased motor vehicle accident risk, risk of falls and fractures, and mortality. Unfortunately, the epidemiology of vision disorders in adults remains poorly characterized in subgroups such as minorities and those residing in lower socioeconomic strata (SES). The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a household survey of the US civilian population conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). From 1986-94, demographic, health, VI and eye disease data have been collected on over 121,000 US adults. Recently, NCHS conducted a mortality follow-up for all individuals participating in the 1986-94 NHIS surveys. Using this uniquely representative and large database the Investigators will: 1) estimate the prevalence and degree of self-reported VI and selected eye diseases in adults by age, gender, ethnicity, SES, and geographic region; 2) compare trends over time in the prevalence of VI and selected eye diseases in different sociodemographic subgroups; 3) estimate the number of adults currently residing in the US with VI and selected eye diseases by these subgroups; 4) project estimated changes in the number of Americans with these conditions to the year 2020; 5) evaluate the health and disability status of adults with and without VI and selected eye diseases and determine if these associations vary in different sociodemographic subgroups; and 6) calculate and compare the overall and cause specific mortality rates for adults with and without VI and selected eye diseases. This study will address three NEI research priorities outlined in Vision Research, "A National Plan 1999-2003": 1) ascertain the prevalence (and incidence) of VI and visual disability in the US and identify subpopulations at heightened risk for VI and disability; 2) determine the number of Americans with eye disease and VI and measure the impact on medical costs and costs to society associated with these conditions; and 3) improve our understanding of the nature and course of glaucoma, incorporating studies of co-morbidity, natural history, and genetics, with special emphasis on Hispanic, Native American, and African-American populations.