Purpose
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is often reduced in adults with strabismus, but it is unclear which factors are specifically associated with poor HRQOL. Non-strabismus studies have reported associations between depression and/or type-D (distressed) personality and poor HRQOL. We investigated associations between clinical, demographic or psychological factors, and HRQOL in adults with strabismus.
Methods
68 adult strabismus patients completed the Adult Strabismus-20 (AS-20) strabismus- specific questionnaire at their clinic visit, providing HRQOL scores (0 to 100, worst to best HRQOL) on each of the four AS-20 subscales: Self-perception, Interaction, Reading Function and General Function. Included patients also completed depression and personality questionnaires. Factors considered for association with poor HRQOL were: diplopia severity using a diplopia questionnaire (DQ) (scored 0 to 100), depression score (0 to 60) using the CESDR questionnaire, Type D personality (Yes/No) using the DS-14 questionnaire, age, sex, worst eye visual acuity, co-morbidity, direction of deviation, and magnitude of deviation (worst of distance or near vector). Multiple linear regression models were run for each of the four AS-20 subscales. Factors were considered associated with poor HRQOL if p<0.05.
Results
Lower Self-perception AS-20 scores (indicating poorer HRQOL) were associated with younger age (p<0.0001), greater magnitude of deviation (p=0.002) and higher (worse) CESDR score (p=0.005). Lower Interaction AS-20 scores were associated with higher CESDR score (p=0.007) and younger age (p=0.007). For both Reading and General Function subscales, lower scores were associated with higher (worse) DQ scores (p<0.0001 for both) and higher CESDR scores (p=0.03 and p=0.0003).
Conclusions
Poorer HRQOL was associated with higher depression scores (indicating subclinical depression) across all four AS-20 subscales. In addition, depending on the specific AS-20 subscale, greater magnitude of deviation, younger age and higher diplopia score were also associated with poor HRQOL. The association of subclinical depression with poor HRQOL may be particularly important when interpreting patient reported outcomes, and warrants clinical consideration.
Keywords: 722 strabismus •
669 quality of life