Causes of visual impairment and common eye problems in Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives.

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.