Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding eye health and disease among older adults: Results of a national telephone survey

Objective: To measure older adults' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about eye health and disease. Method: A national probability sample of 3,180 adults aged 18 and older responded to a computer-assisted telephone interview (jointly funded by the National Eye Institute and Lions Clubs International Foundation) about general and eye health, and knowledge, experiences, and attitudes about eye disease and examinations. Study results were weighted to 2000 Census parameters. Subanalyses were conducted to examine KAP for adults aged 65 and older. Results: Results show that more than 70% of adults aged 65 and older describe their health as good, very good, or excellent; 94% report wearing some type of eyewear; more than 70% report loss of eyesight as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 indicating greatest impact; and more than 40% report ever being told by an eye care provider that they have an eye condition or disease. Regarding knowledge, most older adults are familiar with common eye diseases; however, they lack key information that can facilitate early detection and treatment, in particular, that glaucoma and diabetic eye disease usually have no early warning signs. Conclusions/Implications: Visual impairment is closely associated with fair or poor health status and restricted activity, ultimately affecting functional living for older adults. To reduce visual impairment and blindness resulting from eye diseases, the public must be educated about eye diseases, possible symptoms, and the potential for blindness and loss of vision in the absence of early detection and treatment.