Estimates of Incidence and Prevalence of Visual Impairment, Low Vision, and Blindness in the United States

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Updated estimates of the prevalence and incidence rates of low vision and blindness are needed to inform policy makers and develop plans to meet the future demands for low vision rehabilitation services.OBJECTIVE To provide updated estimates of the incidence and prevalence of low vision and blindness in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSVisual acuity measurements as a function of age from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with representation of racial and ethnic groups, were used to estimate the prevalence and incidence of visual impairments. Data from 6016 survey participants, ranging in age from younger than 18 years to older than 45 years, were obtained to estimate prevalence rates for different age groups. Incidence and prevalence rates of low vision (best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA] in the better-seeing eye of <20/40 and <20/60) and blindness (BCVA of Յ20/200) in older adults were estimated from exponential models, fit to prevalence rates as a function of age (specified in 5-year age bins). The prevalence and annual incidence of low vision and blindness in the United States were estimated, using the 2010 US census data by age, from the rate models applied to the census projections

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