The incidence of visual impairment, its risk factors, and its mobility and health consequences

Canada does not have its own data on the number of people in the population who lose their vision every year (the incidence rate of vision loss). Instead, we rely on applying the incidence rate of vision loss from other countries to our population. This may or may not be accurate. The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data provide us with the perfect opportunity to use Canadian data to estimate the incidence of vision loss. We will examine risk factors for visual impairment including geographic, sociodemographic, health, social, and behavioral factors. We will also examine potential consequences of losing your vision by determining if people who lose vision are more likely to have problems with their physical or mental health. These data will help healthcare planners to ensure adequate eye care resources for the future of our aging population.