Correlates of Perceived Vision Loss Impact on Daily Life Functioning among Hispanics/Latinos

Abstract

Purpose : To examine the relative ranking of perceived vision loss impacts and its association with eye examination recommendation compliance.

Methods : Data were from the Ocular SOL ancillary study to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) which evaluated ocular health, knowledge, risk factors, and health care use with 1235 HCHS/SOL participants (age ≥ 40 yrs) at the Miami, FL study site. Participants were asked how various conditions would impact their day-to-day life (i.e. loss of memory, hearing, eyesight, speech or an arm or a leg). Each response was rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 having the least impact and 10 having the greatest impact on daily life. Mean responses and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated and compared by paired t-tests. ANOVA was conducted to examine the difference among gender, education, Hispanic heritage, as well as the association with preventive eye care compliance (reported eye examination by an eye care professional in the past 24 months) in the study population and in the subgroup who had diabetes based on American Diabetes Association criteria. All analyses were adjusted for the complex survey design.

Results : Losing eyesight was ranked as #1 condition impacting daily life at 9.74, 95% CI [9.68, 9.80] (paired t-test, P<.05), above losing memory (9.61, [9.52, 9.71]), losing hearing (9.14 [9.01, 9.26]), losing speech (9.10 [8.98, 9.22]), or losing an arm or a leg (8.71 [8.56, 8.86]); means not independent. Relative rankings were consistent across gender, education, and Hispanic ethnicity. Females perceived a higher impact of losing eyesight than males (9.81 vs. 9.66, P<0.01). There were no meaningful differences in the perceived impact of losing vision by preventive eye care compliance status (yes vs. no: 9.76 vs. 9.72, P=0.5). However, among the 264 participants who had diabetes, those who had an eye examination within the past 24 months, reported a greater perceived impact of losing vision (9.81 vs. 9.47, P=0.04).

Conclusions : Among Hispanics/Latinos the perceived impact of losing eyesight is consistently ranked #1 among select conditions that would impact daily life. This concern, however, did not appear to result in better preventive ocular care compliance, except possibly for those living with diabetes. Educational campaigns designed to promote better eye care compliance in Hispanics need to be developed and tested.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.