Prevalence and predictors of undercorrected refractive errors in the Victorian population

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of undercorrected refractive errors in the Victorian population. METHODS: In this prospective study, a population-based sample of residents was recruited. The improvement in visual acuity with subjective refraction was assessed. Several individual characteristics were investigated as predictors of undercorrected refractive error. RESULTS: There were 5,615 eligible residents, of which 4,735 (84%) participated in the study (53% were women). In all, 466 participants (10%) had significant undercorrected refractive error leading to an improvement of 1 or more lines of visual acuity with refraction. Age was the most important predisposing facto..