Abstract
Purpose :
The correct performance of daily life activities, e.g. walking and manipulating objects, requires good postural control. Self-confidence to perform daily activities is a function decreased in the elderly. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients report decreased level of confidence in performing specific activities without losing balance or becoming unsteady. This topic, however, has not been extensively studied in patients with eye diseases especially in low-middle income countries. This cross-sectional, case-control study aimed to compare the self-confidence between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and AMD Brazilian patients.
Methods :
Patients with AMD, POAG, and normal controls underwent a complete eye examination including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity, biomicroscopy, tonometry, eye fundus evaluation, and all participants answered the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale. The ABC scale is a 16-item questionnaire with 11-point subscales. Each individual item measures the level of confidence in performing a specific task without losing balance or becoming unsteady by asking participants to assign scores ranging from 0 (no confidence) to 100% (totally confident). A 50-80% score indicates a moderate level of physical functioning. Scores were compared among groups with the ANOVA test.
Results :
The sample comprised 48 patients with AMD, 56 with POAG, and 53 controls. All groups were matched for age, gender, ethnic distribution, and comorbidites. The ABS scale score was lower for both POAG (63.5 ± 25.7) and AMD (69.9 ± 24.9) as compared to controls (95.3 ± 9.1, P<0.000); POAG patients scored lower than AMD (P = 0.026, Tukey HSD).
Conclusions :
In this cohort of Brazilian subjects, POAG patients reported lower self-confidence performing daily activities without losing balance more than AMD patients and are at higher risk of for falling. This observation might be related to loss of peripheral vision.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.