Racial Differences in the Cause-Specific Prevalence of Blindness in East Baltimore

PLANNING research, treatment, and rehabilitative services for eye diseases requires accurate estimates of the prevalence and causes of blindness. Few such data exist, particularly in Western countries, where the overall rates of blindness are comparatively low. 1 Most estimates for the United States 2 3 4 are derived from data from the Model Reporting Area study, 5 which relied on self-registration, and were obtained more than 20 years ago; during this period, approaches to treatment and access to care have changed dramatically. Two sources of community-based data have proved invaluable: the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 6 and the Framingham Eye Study. 7 The Health and Nutrition . . .