Abstract
Purpose: :
Participation is progressively more regarded as an important target for successful rehabilitation. There are two main aspects to consider in the assessment of participation: accomplishment level and satisfaction with the accomplishment level. A small number of studies investigated the relationship between these two aspects of participation and found anything from "no association" to "strong association". However, to our knowledge, no previous study looked at both aspects of participation for a visually impaired older adult population. The purpose of this study was (1) to document the accomplishment level of participation and the satisfaction with the achieved accomplishment level in visually impaired older adults and (2) to explore the relationships between accomplishment level and satisfaction with participation.
Methods: :
This cross-sectional study involved 135 visually impaired older adults aged 69 and older (mean = 83 years ± 6.2) with age-related macular degeneration. The participants were recruited at a specialized low vision rehabilitation center in the Greater Montreal area (Canada) and were interviewed at home. Accomplishment level and satisfaction with participation in daily activities (6 domains) and in social roles (4 domains) were measured with the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) scale. To explore the associations between accomplishment level and satisfaction with participation, correlation coefficients were calculated.
Results: :
The LIFE-H indicated moderate restrictions in participation, with social roles (5.7/9 ± 1.5) being more restricted than daily activities (6.6/9 ± 1.0). In general, the participants were quite satisfied with their participation in daily activities (3.1/4 ± 0.5) as well as in social roles (2.9/4 ± 0.7). Significant positive associations for the 10 domains of the LIFE-H (nutrition, fitness, personal care, communication, housing, mobility; responsibilities, interpersonal relationships, community life, leisure) were observed between accomplishment level and satisfaction with participation, ranging from 0.32 to 0.77 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: :
Older adults with visual impairment are satisfied with their participation accomplishment level, despite participation restrictions in daily activities and in social roles. The strength of the associations between accomplishment level and satisfaction with participation varied greatly. These findings highlight the importance of considering both accomplishment level and satisfaction level when assessing visually impaired older adults' participation.
Keywords: low vision • quality of life • visual acuity