The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment among nursing home residents in Baltimore

Background Although the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment increases with age, most surveys of ocular disease do not include nursing home residents. Methods We conducted a population-based prevalence survey of persons 40 years of age or older residing in nursing homes in the Baltimore area. Of 738 eligible subjects in 30 nursing homes, 499 (67.6 percent) participated in the study. They had their eyes examined and their visual acuity tested and were interviewed in detail. The nonparticipants were more likely to be older, to be white, and to have lower scores on the Mini–Mental State Examination. Results The prevalence of bilateral blindness (visual acuity 20/200) was 18.8 percent. The frequency of blindness increased from 15.2 percent among those under 60 years of age to 28.6 percent among those 90 or older. The age-adjusted prevalence of blindness was 50 percent higher among blacks than among whites (P<0.01). As compare...