Socioeconomic factors and the risk of eye diseases in an elderly Danish population.

Objectives: This study aims to study the association between socioeconomic factors and risk of prevalent eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataract and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in an elderly Danish population.

Design: This study was a nationwide cohort study.

Setting and participants: The included subjects were extracted from Danish nationwide health registers, and the association between socioeconomic factors and prevalent eye diseases was assessed by estimating the incidence rate and the cumulative incidence. The differences between the investigated groups were quantified using the Cox proportional hazard model.

Results: Based on a 10-year follow-up period, the highest levels of education and household income were associated with higher rates and risks of glaucoma compared with the lowest and middle levels. This results in absolute risks ranging from 3.2% (3.1%-3.3%) in both the lowest educational and income group to 4.0% (3.9-4.1%) and 3.8% (3.8-3.9%) in the highest educational and income group, respectively. For cataract, the middle and lowest educational and income levels were associated with increased rates and risks, which were statistically significant compared with the highest levels. The risk of cataract ranged from 6.5% (6.4%-6.7%) to 8.1% (8.0%-8.2%) and 6.0% (5.9%-6.1%) to 8.7% (8.5%-8.8%) in the highest to the lowest educational and income group, respectively. For RVO, the event rate was low, showing no statistically significant differences. The risk of RVO remained constant in all investigated socioeconomic groups, with a risk of 0.3% (0.3%-0.3%).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that socioeconomic factors, such as education and household income, are associated with the diagnosis glaucoma and cataract. Incorporating socioeconomic considerations into public health initiatives may enhance the management of eye diseases and improve information and awareness about these conditions.