141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

280808
Gender difference in prevalence of vision impairment among those aged ≥65 years reporting chronic conditions: Findings from the 2007-2011 national health interview survey


Monday, November 4, 2013 : 1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

John E. Crews, DPA, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Vision Health Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Chiu-Fang Chou, Dr PH, The Vision Health Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/The DB Consulting, Atlanta, GA
Xinzhi Zhang, MD, PhD, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda,, MD
Jinan B. Saaddine, MD, MPH, National Vision Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
     
Objectives: To examine the gender difference in prevalence of vision impairment (VI) among people aged ≥65 years by chronic conditions. Method: The sample was 26,872 adults aged ≥65 years from the 2007-2011 National Health Interview Survey. We examined the prevalence of VI among people with selected chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, stroke, asthma, diabetes, and cancer) stratified by gender. Then we conducted logistic regression to estimate the odd ratios, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, and health status. We considered differences statistically significant at p<0.05. Results: Among people aged ≥65 years reporting chronic diseases, women had higher prevalence of VI than men for hypertension (17.8 % vs. 14.6%), stroke (27% vs. 23.4%), heart disease (22.9 % vs. 16.4%), cancer (17.4% vs. 15.3%), diabetes (22.2% vs. 17.3%), and asthma (21.7% vs. 16.7%). Compared to men with chronic diseases and after adjusting for other covariates, women with chronic diseases were significantly more likely to report VI for hypertension (odds ratio [OR]=1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.10-1.36), heart disease (OR=1.57; 95%CI=1.30-1.89), asthma (OR=1.40; 95%CI=1.10-1.79), and diabetes (OR=1.31; 95%CI=1.10, 1.56), but not for other diseases including stroke and cancer. Conclusions: There is a gender difference in prevalence of VI for those with chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes). VI, while common among older people with chronic conditions particularly affects women. It is crucial to include women in strategies to improve vision among those with chronic diseases and to include women with VI in chronic disease management programs.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify gender difference in prevalence of vision impairment among people aged ¡Ý65 years by chronic conditions.

Keyword(s): Aging, Vision Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in the field of vision rehabilitation and vision research for nearly 40 years, and I have over 100 publications in these areas.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3282.0: Public health surveillance of vision and health