Vision Impairment Tied to Lower Use of Preventive Services

A study in JAMA Ophthalmology suggests older Americans with vision impairment may be less likely to use cancer-related preventive services than those lacking impairment, reports HealthDay News . The researchers analyzed data from the 2015 and 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 2016 and 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Older NHIS participants with vision impairment were less likely to report breast cancer screening and colon cancer screening, but not flu and pneumococcal vaccination, than non-impaired individuals. BRFSS participants with vision impairment were less likely than those without to report breast cancer screening, colon cancer screening, and pneumococcal vaccination, but not flu vaccination. "These findings suggest that interventions to improve access to health information and healthcare services for individuals with vision impairment may be needed to improve cancer screening among this population," the authors conclude.