A new study published in Eye provides updated insight into how social and environmental conditions relate to the Primary Open Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics study. The research examines whether neighborhood characteristics influence disease risk or severity. Primary open-angle glaucoma is more prevalent and develops earlier in African ancestry individuals, raising important questions about the effects of neighborhood-level disadvantage on this condition.
To investigate these questions, researchers linked clinical data with census tract indicators that include air quality, food access, education, income, occupation, homeownership, and demographic composition. This integration of geocoded information allowed the team to assess environmental context alongside individual characteristics in one of the largest African ancestry glaucoma cohorts studied to date. The analysis evaluated both glaucoma presence and disease severity within the population.
The study found that individual factors had stronger associations with glaucoma outcomes than neighborhood conditions. Older age, male gender, lower body mass index, absence of diabetes, and nonuse of alcohol were linked to higher disease risk. Living in areas with low food access also showed a significant association with case status in multivariable analysis. For severity, older age, current smoking, and male gender were associated with more advanced disease, while alcohol use and higher homeownership were linked to less severe outcomes.
Most socioeconomic and environmental indicators showed no significant associations with glaucoma presence or severity. Education, income, occupation type, family structure, and air quality did not differ meaningfully between cases and controls. According to the authors, these findings suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic conditions alone do not explain the disproportionate glaucoma burden among African ancestry individuals. The results highlight the need for continued research into how social, clinical, and biological factors interact across the disease course.
The study’s contributions were supported by several researchers, including key contributor Yineng Chen, who served as a Biostatistician at the University of Pennsylvania. She has more than three years of experience conducting statistical analyses for NIH-funded ophthalmology clinical trials and epidemiologic studies. Her expertise includes longitudinal data analysis, survival analysis, multilevel models, propensity score methods, and correlated data analysis using SAS and R. She has contributed to manuscripts, statistical documentation, and study reports for major research efforts.
Within this project, Chen analyzed clinical phenotypes and examined environmental and census-based socioeconomic factors related to glaucoma risk in African ancestry populations. Her broader work includes peer-reviewed publications on dry eye disease, glaucoma progression, retinal disorders, and clinical outcomes research. She has presented findings at leading scientific meetings such as ARVO and is pursuing her PhD in Biostatistics following a Master of Science at Columbia University.
The study reinforces the importance of understanding glaucoma risk through both clinical and social perspectives while indicating that individual factors may carry greater influence than neighborhood conditions. The findings highlight the need for regular eye examinations, early detection, and continued research into the combined effects of health behaviors, access to care, and biological influences. As researchers advance this work, the study provides evidence that can support strategies aimed at reducing the ongoing glaucoma burden among African ancestry individuals.