Odds ratios for different types of age-related cataract: ethnicity and environment

Ethnic and environmental influences on cataract type are examined using patient data collected from an Australian region. Three ethnic groups are identified: native Australian Caucasians, southern and other Europeans. The Australians are further subdivided into 2 age groups. Apart from effects due to age, the following differences were found: the younger Australian group shows a greater relative risk for cortical cataracts; there is a gender-based difference among the southern European ethnic group; the Australian total has a lower relative risk for cortical cataracts than southern Europeans and a lower relative risk for cortical and mixed cataract than the European group. A comparison made with data published earlier for comparable groups in Britain shows that all Australian groups have a lower relative risk for nuclear but a higher one for cortical cataract and its combinations.