Indigenous eye health measures 2018

Measure 1.2.2: The main causes of eye or sight problems reported by Indigenous Australians as a proportion of those with eye or sight problems.

Most of the vision loss experienced by Indigenous Australians is potentially preventable. Measures of the causes of vision impairment and blindness are important for monitoring changes in eye health over time and identifying the types of interventions required.

• The main causes of sight problems reported by Indigenous Australians were long‑sightedness (57%), short-sightedness (38%) and cataract (3%).
• Indigenous Australians were more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to report blindness (3.1 times as likely) and having a cataract (1.8 times as likely) as a cause of sight problems based on age-standardised rates.