Impact Of Visual Impairment On Quality Of Life Among Attendees Of Ophthalmology Department Al-Zahraa University Hospital, Egypt

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of visual impairment (VI) on quality of life among subjects attending the eye clinic, Al-Zahraa University Hospital, Egypt.

 Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted over a period of 4 months and included 220 participants with blindness and low vision who attented the Ophthalmology Outpatient Clinic of Al-Zahraa University hospital. All subjects underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. Blindness and visual impairment were defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. An Arabic Version of National Eye Institution Visual Function Questionnaires Tool (NEI VFQ-25) delivered, Individuals who scored less than the overall mean in the NEI VFQ-25 score are considered to have poor vision related quality of life.

 Results: Sociodemographic features of the study participants: revealed that, 42.7% of participants aged ≥ 60y, 63.6% of them were females, 8.6% of them were highly educated. The degree of VI was found mild in 22.3%, moderate in 65.5%, severe in 6.8% and blindness in 5.5%. Causes of VI was cataract in 36.4%, errors of refraction in 33.2%, retinal disease in 19.5%, glaucoma in 6.4%. Poor quality of life among participants was 46.4%, VI was found to be associated with advancing age, residency in rural area, low education, and low income (P=0.00). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between VI and the quality of life (r= - 0.467, P= 0.00).

 Conclusion: poorer quality of life in patients with a higher degree of VI. Cataract and errors of refraction are reversible causes of VI. Identifying subjects with VI by health care providers, and management by health care policy planners will improve quality of life.