A brief report of the prevalence of chronic and acute health conditions among blind American adults.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prior research demonstrates disparities in the prevalence of certain chronic and acute health conditions among persons who are blind (PWB) compared to non-blind persons, such as diabetes and infectious diseases. However, a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of chronic and acute health conditions among PWB is currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: The present study addressed this gap by examining the prevalence of chronic and acute conditions among blind persons, and examining differences by gender. METHODS: The present study surveyed 410 PWB residing in the U.S. about their health conditions and activities. Lifetime prevalence for eight chronic and six acute health conditions were estimated separately for men and women. Engagement in physical activity, regular use of medication, and satisfaction with health were also estimated. RESULTS: We found that men more often reported their health conditions interfered with daily activities compared to women, as well as higher prevalence of stroke and arthritis compared to women. CONCLUSION: The current study contributes information that is vital to understanding the burden of specific health conditions on this population and necessary to understand the extent to which this burden disproportionately affects PWB.