Associations of Vision-related QOL with Physical Activity and Locomotive Function in the Adult Visually Impaired

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the association between the vision-related quality of life (QOL) and physical activity and locomotive function.

Methods: A total of 222 visually impaired Japanese patients were recruited from 6 ophthalmology departments in Japan. The physical activity and locomotive function connected to their impairment was studied. Physical activity of participants was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, short form), and participants’ physical activity level was calculated in metabolic equivalent units per week (MET, min/week). Participants were classified as having a high, moderate, or low level of physical activity. Locomotive function was evaluated by the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-5). The vision-related QOL was evaluated using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and the VFQ-J11 (short version of VFQ-25). Background data including age, sex, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of each eye and the name of any eye diseases the subjects had, were also collected.

Results: The average age was 69.61years (SD=14.28). By multi regression analysis, METs by week was a significant association with vision-related QOL after adjusted for sex, age, better/worse eye BCVA and systemic disease (p<0.001). The IPAQ grade was associated with vision-related QOL (p<0.001) and worse eye BCVA significantly (p=0.01). The GLFS-5 score was significantly associated with vision-related QOL, age and systemic disease.

Conclusions: Visual impairment level was associated with physical inactivity and physical disability.

Keywords: 669 quality of life • 463 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence