Previous research indicates a higher prevalence of glaucoma in Black individuals of African descent. However, the association between race and glaucoma in Brazil’s multiracial population remains underexplored. This study examines this association and seeks to identify preventable factors potentially influencing prevalence differences among racial groups in Brazil, should such difference be found.
Employing a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed from 10,696 participants in the multicenter Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (2008-2010) who self-identified their race as White, Black, mixed race (pardo), Asian, or Indigenous and completed an ophthalmological questionnaire including their self-reported glaucoma status (yes or no). Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) with robust SEs and adjustments for sociodemographic characteristics and the presence of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
The prevalence of glaucoma was 5.8% in Black (86/1483), 3.8% in mixed race (101/2688), 3.8% in indigenous (4/106), 3.5% in Asian (10/288), and 2.4% in White (145/6131) populations. Compared with Whites, Blacks and mixed-race individuals were younger. Age-adjusted prevalence was 175% higher in Black individuals (PR=2.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.12, 3.56) and 85% higher in mixed-race individuals (PR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.44, 2.36) compared with Whites. The strength of these associations was reduced in models including the comorbidities of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, which are more prevalent in Black and mixed-race individuals.
Our results reveal a higher prevalence of self-reported glaucoma in non-White groups, especially among Black and mixed-race individuals. Although causality cannot be conclusively established, our data suggest that the increased prevalence of glaucoma in these groups, compared with their White peers, is partially influenced by preventable health conditions.