Objective 28-7

Cataracts

Reduce visual impairment due to cataract

Cataract is a leading cause of vision loss. This disorder sometimes occurs in children, but most frequently occurs in adults age 50 and older. The only treatment for cataract is surgical removal of the lens, followed by implantation of an artifical lens at the time of surgery or the subsequent use of corrective lenses. Approximately 1.35 million cataract operations are performed annually at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion.

Data Source

Baseline: 118.8 per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and older reported they had trouble seeing and cataracts in 2002 (age adjusted to the year 2000 standard population).

Target: 91.4 per 1,000 persons 65 years and over.

Target setting method: Better than the best.

Data source: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Operational definition: This is a valuable tool that allows individuals to set measurable Healthy Vision objectives for their own communities.

People 65 years and over	Rate per 1000
	118.8
Race and ethnicity
American Indian or Alaska Native only	DSU
Asian or Pacific Islander only	DNA
Asian only	DSU
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only	DSU
Black or African American only	126.7
White only	120.3
2 or more races	DSU
American Indian or Alaska Native; White	DSU
Black or African American; White	DSU
Hispanic or Latino	91.5
Non Hispanic or Latino	120.7
Black or African American only, not Hisp/Latino	127.2
White only, not Hispanic or Latino	122.2
Gender
Female	130.9
Male	102.2
Education level (persons 25 years and over)
Under 12 years	147.2
12 years	103.1
13 years and over	114.0
Diabetes status
Persons with diabetes	181.9
Persons without diabetes	106.8

Legend:
DNA = Data have not been analyzed.
DNC = Data for specific population are not collected.
DSU = Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.

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Operational definition for objective: 28-7
28-7.	Reduce visual impairment due to cataract.
National Data Source	National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC, NCHS.
State Data Source	Not identified.
Healthy People 2000 Objective	Not applicable.
Measure	Rate per 1,000 population (age adjusted - see Comments).
Baseline	118.8 (2002).
Numerator	Number of adults aged 65 years and older who report they have trouble seeing and that they have ever been told they had cataracts.
Denominator	Number of adults aged 65 years and older.
Population Targeted	U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population.
Questions Used To Obtain the National Data	From the 2002 National Health Interview Survey: > Do you have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses? > Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had cataracts?
Expected Periodicity	Periodic.
Comments	Adults who answer "yes" to the abovequestions meet the criteria for the objective as closely as possible using self-report. Data are age adjusted to the 2000 standard population using the age groups 65-74 and 75 years and older. Age-adjusted rates are weighted sums of age-specific rates. For a discussion on age adjustment, see Part A, section 5. For some measures, data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality and have been suppressed. Information on suppression of data for the major Healthy People 2010 data systems has been published in a Healthy People Statistical Note report (Klein, R.; Proctor, S.; Boudreault, M.; Turczyn, K. Healthy People 2010 Statistical Notes No. 24. 2002). See Part C for a description of NHIS and Appendix A for focus area contact information. All referenced "Parts" and "Appendices" can be found in Tracking Healthy People 2010.