IngentaConnect Visual acuity and refractive errors in a suburban Danish populati...

Authors: Kessel, Line; Hougaard, Jesper Leth¹; Mortensen, Claus¹; Jørgensen, Torben²; Lund-Andersen, Henrik¹; Larsen, Michael¹

Source: Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, Volume 82, Number 1, February 2004 , pp. 19-24(6)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

. Purpose:

The present study was performed as part of an epidemiological study, the Inter99 Eye Study. The aim of the study was to describe refractive errors and visual acuity (VA) in a suburban Danish population. Methods:

The Inter99 Eye Study comprised 970 subjects aged 30-60 years and included a random control group as well as groups at high risk for ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus. The present study presents VAs and refractive data from the control group (n = 502). All subjects completed a detailed questionnaire and underwent a standardized general physical and ophthalmic examination including determination of best corrected VA and subjective refractioning. Results:

Visual acuity ≤ 0.05 was found in one eye of one subject and VA ≤ 0.3 in 11 eyes of 11 subjects. The main cause of reduced visual function was strabismic amblyopia. Myopia (≤ − 0.5 D, spherical equivalent refraction) was present in 33.1% of right eyes of the total population but in 56.8% of subjects with a university degree. Conclusions:

Strabismic amblyopia was a significant cause of unilateral visual impairment. Myopia was approximately twice as frequent in subjects with a university degree as in the remaining study population.

Keywords: amblyopia; epidemiology; myopia; refraction; visual function

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1395-3907.2004.0179.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Ophthalmology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 2: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Copenhagen County, Denmark

You have access to the full text article on a website external to Ingentaconnect.

Please click here to view this article on InterScience.

You may be required to register and activate access on InterScience before you can obtain the full text. If you have any queries please contact onlinehelp@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com

Visual acuity and refractive errors in a suburban Danish population: Inter99 Eye Study