Abstract
Measuring ocular health and diet quality in diverse populations, in community settings
APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo
Background: Chronic diseases are more prevalent among persons in traditionally underserved communities, such as rural areas, and among older persons. Poor diet quality is a risk factor for several chronic diseases, from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Yet, diet quality is not commonly measured at medical visits, partly because it is notoriously difficult to measure. Macular pigment (MP) is a collection of dietary carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in the fovea of the neural retina. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in dark green, leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruits and are otherwise not synthesized de novo. MP optical density (MPOD) can be measured non-invasively and relates to serum and dietary lutein and zeaxanthin levels. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of measuring MPOD in diverse samples, in community locations.
Methods: A portable macular densitometer was used to measure MPOD via heterochromatic flicker photometry at 30-minutes of retinal eccentricity. Densitometers were deployed in two locations: at a rural health fair in a predominantly Black/African American farming community, and in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in a different rural Georgia county.
Results: MPOD was lower in farming community residents (M=0.26) than higher-income CCRC residents with reliable access to fruits and vegetables through dining services (M=0.56).
Conclusions: High MPOD is related to reduced risk for age-related cataract and macular degeneration, improved cognitive health, and overall better systemic health. Portable device technology can effectively measure MPOD outside laboratory and eye care settings, in communities.