The estimated number and proportion of First Nations people who had spectacle or contact lens correction for refractive error: Measure 3.9
The number of First Nations people who had spectacle or contact lens correction for refractive error, as a proportion of those who had refractive error (whether or not they had spectacle or contact lens correction).
Treatment of refractive error through the provision of spectacles is a low cost, effective intervention (Figure 49 and Figure 50).
Latest data
Based on the latest available National Eye Health Survey (NEHS) data, in 2016, treatment rates for refractive error were higher for non-Indigenous Australians than for First Nations people, at 94% and 82%, respectively (Figure 49).
Figure 49: Treatment of refractive error, 2016
Note: Data are weighted to account for sampling rate in each remoteness stratum (Foreman et al. 2017)
Source: National Eye Health Survey 2016.
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 50.
By time since last exam
In 2016, treatment rates for refractive error for First Nations people did not differ significantly by time since the last eye examination (Figure 50 – time since last exam).
By remoteness
In 2016, treatment rates for refractive error for First Nations people in Outer regional (70%) and Very remote (75%) areas were significantly lower than in Major cities (87%), the reference region. The treatment rate for non-Indigenous Australians was significantly higher than for First Nations people in Inner regional, Outer regional and Very remote areas (Figure 50 – remoteness).
By age and sex
In 2016, treatment rates for refractive error for First Nations people did not differ significantly by age group. The treatment rate for those aged 60–69 was significantly higher for non-Indigenous Australians than for First Nations people (95%, CI 93%–97%; and 80%, CI 67%–88%, respectively) (Figure 50 – population groups).
Figure 50: Treatment of refractive error: interactive data
The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.
Remoteness area Indigenous status Per cent Lower confidence interval Upper confidence interval
Within 1 year First Nations 85.2 79.4 89.6
1–2 years First Nations 83.9 75.5 89.8
2–5 years First Nations 79.6 63.1 90
More than 5 years First Nations 77.3 64 86.8
Never First Nations 28.4 7.7 65.5
Within 1 year Non Indigenous 95.6 93.7 96.9
1–2 years Non Indigenous 92.1 89.5 94.2
2–5 years Non Indigenous 92.7 83.2 97.1
More than 5 years Non Indigenous 63.2 44.1 78.9
Never Non Indigenous 53.2 18.9 84.7
Remoteness area Indigenous status Per cent Lower confidence interval Upper confidence interval
Major cities First Nations 87.2 81.3 91.4
Inner regional First Nations 88.3 82.8 92.2
Outer regional First Nations 69.5 56.5 79.8
Remote First Nations 87.7 68 96
Very remote First Nations 74.6 67.1 80.9
Major cities Non Indigenous 93.1 90.9 94.8
Inner regional Non Indigenous 95.2 93.2 96.6
Outer regional Non Indigenous 92.1 85.6 95.8
Remote Non Indigenous 96.7 89.6 99
Very remote Non Indigenous 91.6 87.1 94.7
Indigenous status: Age, Point estimate (percent), 95% confidence interval
First Nations
40–49, 79, 68.9 to 86.4
50–59, 86.1, 78. to 91.1
60–69, 79.8, 67.3 to 88.4
70–79, 83.3, 74.2 to 89.7
80+, 76, 35.9 to 94.7
Non-Indigenous
50–59, 91, 87.5 to 93.6
60–69, 95.3, 93.3 to 96.8
70–79, 93.5, 88.8 to 96.3
80+, 92, 87 to 96.1
Indigenous status: Sex, Point estimate (percent), 95% confidence interval
First Nations
Female, 82.3, 77 to 86.6
Male, 82, 75 to 87.4
Non-Indigenous
Female, 94, 92.2 to 95.4
Male, 93, 90.4 to 94.9
Foreman J, Xie J, Keel S, van Wijngaarden P, Sandhu SS, Ang GS , Gaskin JF, Crowston J, Bourne R, Taylor HR and Dirani M (2017) ‘The prevalence and causes of vision loss in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’, Ophthalmology, 124(12):1743–1752.