Ho J H, Chang R J, Wheeler N C, Lee D A
UCLA School of Medicine, USA.
J Am Optom Assoc. 1997 Sep;68(9):567-73.
Few studies have addressed ocular disorders among the homeless and nonhomeless poor.
To better understand the health problems of the homeless, ophthalmic disorders were analyzed among 512 homeless and 413 nonhomeless poor individuals receiving vision-screening examinations in Los Angeles.
Significantly, more 4- to 17-year-old nonhomeless poor were diagnosed with uncorrected visual acuity worse than or equal to 20/50 without correction (p = 0.001), total refractive errors (p < 0.0005), astigmatism (p = 0.001), and myopia (p < 0.0005) than were a control group of 4- to 17-year-old homeless individuals. More homeless individuals had extraocular muscle imbalance (p < 0.040), but fewer had external eye diseases (p2 = 0.016) than the nonhomeless poor, when age adjusted. In addition, higher rates of glaucoma and cataracts were observed in both homeless and poor nonhomeless populations than in the general population.
Health care professionals should provide vision screenings intended to detect these ocular disorders. Screening and correction of myopia and glaucoma, in particular, can greatly improve the quality of life for those treated.
很少有研究涉及无家可归者和非无家可归的贫困人口中的眼部疾病。
为了更好地了解无家可归者的健康问题，对洛杉矶512名接受视力筛查的无家可归者和413名非无家可归的贫困人口进行了眼科疾病分析。
值得注意的是，4至17岁的非无家可归贫困人口中，未经矫正视力低于或等于20/50（p = 0.001）、总屈光不正（p < 0.0005）、散光（p = 0.001）和近视（p < 0.0005）的诊断率显著高于4至17岁无家可归者对照组。调整年龄后，与非无家可归的贫困人口相比，更多无家可归者存在眼外肌失衡（p < 0.040），但患有外眼疾病的较少（p2 = 0.016）。此外，与普通人群相比，无家可归者和非无家可归贫困人口中的青光眼和白内障发病率更高。
医疗保健专业人员应提供旨在检测这些眼部疾病的视力筛查。特别是近视和青光眼的筛查与矫正，可极大提高接受治疗者的生活质量。
