Causes of Visual Impairment and Common Eye Problems in Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Little information exists regarding the causes of visual impairment and the most common eye problems in American Indians/Alaska Natives. METHODS: We randomly sampled American Indians/Alaska Natives older than 40 years from 3 tribes within the Northwest region. RESULTS: We found a higher prevalence of visual impairment and normal-tension glaucoma, as well as a lower prevalence of ocular hypertension, in American Indians/Alaska Natives compared with previous results in other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: American Indians/Alaska Natives have a need for vision correction. Future interventions in American Indians/Alaska Natives should include providing spectacles for refractive error, detecting glaucoma, and preventing visual impairment from age-related maculopathy and cataracts.