Visual Impairment and Activity Limitation in Community-residing Adults: The National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Moderate to severe visual impairment (VI) is associated with poor self rated health and reduced survival. It is unknown if VI is also related to recent activity limitation. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between VI and restricted activity in the previous two weeks. Methods: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a continuous multistage area probability survey of the US population. Randomly selected NHIS participants were administered questions about VI and selected eye diseases. Complete data were available on 120,735 adults 18 years of age and older who participated in the 1986-1994 NHIS. Statistical methods included logistic multiple regression models with adjustments for covariates as well as the survey design. Results: A total of 334 participants reported bilateral blindness (0.3%); an additional 4,870 reported some VI and/or severe VI in at least one eye (4.0%). After adjustment for age, gender, glaucoma, retinopathy, and cataract, compared with participants with no VI, odds ratios (ORs) for any restricted activity days in the 2 weeks prior to the interview was 2.04 [95% confidence interval (CI)= [1.88-2.21]) for participants with some VI and 2.10 [1.58-2.80] for blind participants. Adjusted OR's for any days spent in bed in the previous two weeks prior to the interview were 2.15 [1.94-2.37] and 2.19 [1.53-3.12], respectively, among participants with some VI and blindness. Further control for self-rated health lowered, but did not eliminate associations between VI and restricted activity/bed days (range of ORs: 1.35-1.62). Conclusions: VI is significantly associated with reported recent activity limitation in community-residing adults.

Keywords: visual acuity • quality of life • aging