Prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in an elderly urban population

Background: Accurate data on the prevalence of blindness in urban populations is not readily available. The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing is a prospective multidimensional study examining a broad range of age-related health issues, including visual function. Methods: A population-based sample of 1466 persons, 70 years of age and over, from the Adelaide metropolitan area underwent visual acuity measurements. Results: Approximately 1% were legally blind by Australian definitions. Conclusions: This percentage is low by world standards, however projections indicate that the absolute number of blind elderly people is rapidly increasing. Data such as this are crucial for the planning of adequate ophthalmic care.