EXTENDED REPORT

Impact of unilateral and bilateral vision loss on quality of life

H T V Vu¹, J E Keeffe¹, C A McCarty² and H R Taylor¹

¹ Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Vic 3002, Australia
² Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, 1000 North Oak Avenue (ML1), Marshfield WI 54449, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Hien T V Vu
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Vicoria 3002, Australia; hienv{at}unimelb.edu.au

Aim: To investigate whether unilateral vision loss reduced any aspects of quality of life in comparison with normal vision and to compare its impact with that of bilateral vision loss.

Methods: This study used cluster stratified random sample of 3271 urban participants recruited between 1992 and 1994 for the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. All predictors and outcomes were from the 5 year follow up examinations conducted in 1997–9.

Results: There were 2530 participants who attended the follow up survey and had measurement of presenting visual acuity. Both unilateral and bilateral vision loss were significantly associated with increased odds of having problems in visual functions including reading the telephone book, newspaper, watching television, and seeing faces. Non-correctable by refraction unilateral vision loss increased the odds of falling when away from home (OR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.16 to 7.08), getting help with chores (OR = 3.09, 95% CI 1.40 to 6.83), and becoming dependent (getting help with meals and chores) (OR = 7.50, 95% CI 1.97 to 28.6). Non-correctable bilateral visual loss was associated with many activities of daily living except falling.

Conclusions: Non-correctable unilateral vision loss was associated with issues of safety and independent living while non-correctable bilateral vision loss was associated with nursing home placement, emotional wellbeing, use of community services, and activities of daily living. Correctable or treatable vision loss should be detected and attended to.

Keywords: unilateral vision loss; bilateral vision loss; quality of life

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

BJO at a glance

Creig Hoyt
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2005 89: 253. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lamoureux, E. L., Saw, S.-M., Thumboo, J., Wee, H. L., Aung, T., Mitchell, P., Wong, T. Y. (2009). The Impact of Corrected and Uncorrected Refractive Error on Visual Functioning: The Singapore Malay Eye Study. IOVS 50: 2614-2620 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Evans, J., Smeeth, L., Fletcher, A. (2009). Vision screening. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 93: 704-705 [Full Text]  
• Wu, S.-Y., Nemesure, B., Hennis, A., Leske, M. C. (2009). Visual acuity impairment and vision-related quality of life: the Barbados Eye Studies. British Journal of Visual Impairment 27: 9-24 [Abstract]  
• Zhang, X., Gregg, E. W., Cheng, Y. J., Thompson, T. J., Geiss, L. S., Duenas, M. R., Saaddine, J. B. (2008). Diabetes Mellitus and Visual Impairment: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004. Arch Ophthalmol 126: 1421-1427 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wong, T. Y., Chong, E. W., Wong, W.-L., Rosman, M., Aung, T., Loo, J.-L., Shen, S., Loon, S.-C., Tan, D. T. H., Tai, E. S., Saw, S.-M., for the Singapore Malay Eye Study Team, (2008). Prevalence and Causes of Low Vision and Blindness in an Urban Malay Population: The Singapore Malay Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol 126: 1091-1099 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Polack, S, Kuper, H, Wadud, Z, Fletcher, A, Foster, A (2008). Quality of life and visual impairment from cataract in Satkhira district, Bangladesh. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 92: 1026-1030 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Marcus, S. C., Wan, G. J., Zhang, H. F., Olfson, M. (2008). Injury Among Stimulant-Treated Youth With ADHD. J Atten Disord 12: 64-69 [Abstract]  
• Aldrich, E. M., Lee, A. W., Chen, C. S., Gottesman, R. F., Bahouth, M. N., Gailloud, P., Murphy, K., Wityk, R., Miller, N. R. (2008). Local Intraarterial Fibrinolysis Administered in Aliquots for the Treatment of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: The Johns Hopkins Hospital Experience. Stroke 39: 1746-1750 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gilbert, C. E, Shah, S P, Jadoon, M Z, Bourne, R, Dineen, B, Khan, M A, Johnson, G J, Khan, M D, on behalf of the Pakistan National Eye Survey Stud, (2008). Poverty and blindness in Pakistan: results from the Pakistan national blindness and visual impairment survey. BMJ 336: 29-32 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhang, X., Saaddine, J. B., Lee, P. P., Grabowski, D. C., Kanjilal, S., Duenas, M. R., Narayan, K. M. V. (2007). Eye Care in the United States: Do We Deliver to High-Risk People Who Can Benefit Most From It?. Arch Ophthalmol 125: 411-418 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (2007). Correctable Visual Impairment Among Persons With Diabetes--United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 297: 34-36 [Full Text]  
• Nutheti, R., Shamanna, B. R., Nirmalan, P. K., Keeffe, J. E., Krishnaiah, S., Rao, G. N., Thomas, R. (2006). Impact of Impaired Vision and Eye Disease on Quality of Life in Andhra Pradesh. IOVS 47: 4742-4748 [Abstract] [Full Text]