Socioeconomic Disparities Among Adults With Eye Diseases
Socioeconomic position (SEP) has a significant effect on adult use of eye care services in the United States, according to research from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues.
The researchers used data from the NHIS, a large, complex in-person population survey. As an ongoing survey, it allows us to obtain population-based national estimates to observe changes over time and the potential impact of societal transformation. Such national survey data can be used to assess and monitor disparities in the use of eye care services in the United States,” the authors write.
They acknowledge, however, that their study was limited in that it did not account for geographic location or other factors associated with income and education.
Access to and use of effective and appropriate eye care is important for the reduction of vision-related morbidity and mortality. SEP differences in healthcare use may affect health outcomes and cause health disparities.
In this study, they found considerable differences in the use of eye care services by SEP; such use decreased progressively with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage. This finding adds to the general literature on the strong influence of socioeconomic circumstance on an individual’s health status. Moreover, a close analysis of the association between the use of eye care services and SEP showed that the inequalities in use, between the extremes of the income and education distributions and averaged across the cumulative distributions of the population, were sustained from 2002 to 2008,” he authors write.
In many cases, both income and educational level are social determinants of health, suggesting that the disparity problem should be addressed from both the health policy and social policy perspectives. Thus, any actions would benefit from a better understanding of the relationship between income and education inequalities and health-seeking behavior.
Given that income and educational level are important social determinants of health, both society and individuals have the responsibility and capability to influence and help reduce such disparities. Eye care providers, as well as primary care providers, should more proactively educate patients with low SES about the importance of regular eye examination. More community-participated public health interventions to reduce eye care disparities are needed to further engage both patients and physicians.
JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online July 18, 2013. Abstract
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