Prevalence, Causes, and Factors Associated with Visual Impairment in a Chinese Elderly Population: The Rugao Longevity and Aging Study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the current prevalence, causes, and factors associated with visual impairment in a Chinese elderly population. METHODS: A random sample of 2164 candidates aged ≥70 years was selected. Among them, 1914 participants (response rate: 88.4%) underwent comprehensive eye examinations. The prevalence and causes of visual impairment were estimated, and the associated factors were identified. RESULTS: The standardized prevalence of mild visual impairment (<6/12 to ≥6/18), moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI) (<6/18 to ≥3/60), and blindness (<3/60) in the better eye were 20.5%, 25.8%, and 3.4%, respectively. The leading cause of visual impairment was cataract (49.7%), followed by uncorrected refractive error (26.5%), myopic maculopathy (5.8%), and posterior capsular opacification (5.5%). Optical coherence tomography revealed that vitreoretinal interface abnormalities were the third most common cause of monocular mild visual impairment (2.2%) and MSVI (4.4%) in the elderly population. A large number of patients with visual impairment (81.7%) were amenable to undergo the interventions. Visual impairment was associated with advanced age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09 per year; p<0.001), female sex (OR, 1.59; p=0.003), self-reported visual impairment (OR, 1.91; p<0.001), cognitive impairment (OR, 1.40, p=0.005), and high educational level (OR, 0.75; primary, p=0.045; and OR, 0.53, secondary or higher; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Visual impairment was common in the Chinese elderly population and a severe health and social problem. Practicable policies are urgently needed to popularize eye health knowledge and promote treatments for visual impairment in elderly people in rural China.