Purpose: To investigate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in elderly Amis aborigines in Eastern Taiwan.
Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study of visual impairment of elderly Amis (65 years of age or older). We conducted ocular examinations on 2,316 participants, which represent 61.2 % of the elderly population. We used WHO criteria to identify visual impaired subjects, and the causes were analyzed.
Results: Ninety-four subjects were identified with low vision and nineteen were blind. The prevalence of low vision was 4.06 % (95 % confidence interval, 3.26, 4.56 %); that of blindness was 0.82 % (95 % confidence interval, 0.45, 1.19 %). Cataracts (47.79 %) were the main cause of visual impairment, followed by age-related macular degeneration (15.93 %), corneal opacity (7.96 %), optic neuropathy (7.96 %), diabetic retinopathy (5.31 %), and retinitis pigmentosa (2.65 %). Glaucoma was a minor cause of visual impairment. There were no significant gender differences in the prevalence and specific causes of visual impairment.
Conclusion: The prevalence of treatable causes of vision impairment, for example cataracts and corneal opacity, is high among the elderly Amis aborigines. They would, therefore, benefit from a more aggressive and in-depth eye-care program as a blindness-prevention strategy.