The following is a summary of “Association Between Sociodemographic Factors and Self-Reported Diabetic Retinopathy: A Cross-sectional, Population-Based Analysis,” published in the November 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Zaman et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the association between sociodemographic factors, healthcare access, and self-reported diabetic retinopathy (DR) prevalence in a nationally representative sample of the United States.   

They analyzed data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), specifically from participants who responded to the question, “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had diabetic retinopathy?” Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the relationship between DR prevalence and social determinants of health (SDH).  

The results showed that, of 26,966 eligible respondents (81.4%) in the 2017 NHIS, 26,699 participants answered the DR question, with 266 (1.0%) self-reporting a DR diagnosis. The multivariable analysis revealed significant associations between DR prevalence and several SDH: poorer health status  (OR = 5.9; 95% CI = 3.6–9.7; P < 0.001), disability (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.3–3.2; P = 0.001), unemployment (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2–2.9; P = 0.009), and residence in Southern regions of the United States (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.1–3.3; P = 0.020). However, not having a usual healthcare provider (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.1–0.7; P = 0.006) and being female (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.4–0.8; P = 0.002) were negatively associated with self-reported DR prevalence.  

Investigators concluded the multiple sociodemographic factors were associated with self-reported DR prevalence, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address the disparities. 

Source: ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(24)00524-5/fulltext