Prevalence and Causes of Unilateral Vision Impairment and Unilateral Blindness in Australia

The Journal of the American Medical Association have published a new article using data from the National Eye Health Survey on the Prevalence and Causes of Unilateral Vision Impairment and Blindness in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

This population-based survey included 1,738 indigenous Australians and 3,098 non-Indigenous Australians and found that the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of unilateral vision impairment and unilateral blindness were higher in Indigenous Australians than in non-Indigenous Australians (18.7% and 2.9% vs 14.5% and 1.3%).

Uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts were leading causes of unilateral vision impairment in both populations (70%-75%). The article concludes that while unilateral vision impairment and unilateral blindness are highly prevalent in Australia, most cases are avoidable, and health care interventions that address unilateral vision loss are therefore warranted.