Did you know that even using visual aids such as glasses or contact lenses, most people as they age report visual impairments and poor eyesight? Therefore, in today's article, we are going to share a study on deficiency vision and the factors that influence it in order to explain what happens to our vision as we age and to emphasize the importance of this study for public health.
What happens to our vision as we age?
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According to the clinical professor of the Department of Ophthalmology and Science Notices of Michigan Medicine, Olivia J. Killeen, poor eyesight as we age is directly associated with several aspects common among older adults, such as depression, dementia, falls, accidents automobiles, etc.
Therefore, with the objective of presenting updated national epidemiological estimates of visual impairment and blindness in North American elderly, Olívia initiated a study based on objective tests of visual function, called the Population Prevalence of Visual Impairment in US Adults Age 71 and Over. More.
The study derives from data from The National Health and Aging Trends Study, which is based at the U-M Institute for Social Research and the Bloomberg School of Public Health at John Hopkins University. To achieve the results, prevalence estimates stratified by age and socioeconomic data and demographics and different types of visual impairment have been found to be associated with older age, lower education and lower income.
Finally, it was possible to conclude that more than 1 in 4 US adults aged 71 years and older had some type of visual impairment in 2021, above previous estimates. In addition, it was possible to observe some differences in the prevalence of visual impairment by socioeconomic and demographic factors.
Such research can help improve public health outcomes when it comes to supporting visually impaired adults.