목적: 본 연구는 노인의 가구 소득과 눈 건강과의 관계를 확인함으로써 노인의 눈 건강 불평등 정도를 알아보고, 향후 저소득층 노인의 삶의 질 향상을 위한 안보건 정책 수립의 기초자료를 제공하고자 한다. 방법: 국민건강영양 조사(2009) 데이터를 이용하여 만 65세 이상의 노인 1,668명을 대상으로 가구 소득에 따른 눈 건강 관련요인(시력, 백내장 유무, 군날개 유무, 안압, 망막이상소견, 나이관련 황반변성, 당뇨망막병증, 근시, 원시, 난시, 부동시 유병률 )을 t-test 및 x² 검정하였다. 결과: 자동굴절계검사의 굴절이상도와 안압은 저소득군이 낮았고, 나안시력과 교정시력은 0.1~0.5 미만에서 저소득군이 높았고, 원시는 고소득군에서 높았다. 백내장과 최대교정시력 0.8미만인 사람의 백내장 유병여부는 저소득군에서 더 높게 발생하였고, 흡연, 음주, 직업, 교육수준과 유의한 관계가 있었다. 결론: 노인의 가구 소득에 따른 눈 건강 불평등이 존재함을 알 수 있었고, 특히 백내장은 삶의 질과 밀접한 관계가 있는 안질환으로 저소득층 노인의 눈 건강 불평등 해소를 위한 안보건 정책이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.
Purpose: In this study, eye-health inequity was investigated by analyzing the relationship between household incomes and eye-health of senior citizens. Further, this study suggested the preliminary data for establishment of public eye-health policy in order to improve low income senior citizens` life quality. Methods: The data from the 2009 Survey of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination were analyzed in this study. The objectives of the KNHNE survey were over 65 year old group (1,668 people). Main factors of eye-health (visual acuity, cataract, pterygium, intraocular pressure, retinophathy, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinophathy, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia prevalence) were analyzed with t-test and chi square test. Results: Low income group revealed that refractive error rate and intraocular pressure were low, however, naked eye visual acuity and corrected visual acuity were high at 0.1 to less than 0.5. On the other hands, in the high income group, there was high prevalence of hyperopia. Cataract mainly occurred at low income group besides group which maximum corrected visual acuity was below 0.8 also highly showed cataract. Moreover, the prevalence of cataract showed that it related with smoking, drinking, occupation, and education level. Conclusions: Results revealed that there was inequity of eye-health which related with socioeconomic status of the elderly. Especially, the prevalence of cataract was correlated with life quality. Consequently, establishment of public eye-health policy seems to be required for eye-health inequity of low income senior citizens.