Abstract
Purpose :
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) may be reduced in congenital aniridia compared to the general population. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate HRQOL in adults with aniridia and to assess the relationship between physical and psychological functioning and HRQOL.
Methods :
Twenty-nine individuals with congenital aniridia (48% men, mean age 42.5±18.5 years) participated in the study. Socio-demographics (age, gender, education, employment) and self-reported ocular health variables, as well as the questionnaires SF 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Obesity (PROS) were administered via a secure online data collection platform. Correlations between the SF-36 physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS) and the HADS and PROS scores, educational level, and parameters for ocular health were evaluated.
Results :
Women with aniridia scored lower in the general health domain of the SF-36 survey than the Norwegian female population (62.3±21.7 vs 76.3±22.5, p=0.026) and men with aniridia scored lower in social functioning than the Norwegian male population (75.0±28.2 vs 87.6±20.9, p=0.04). The EQ visual analogue scale (VAS) score was lower in the whole aniridia group than in the general population (64.9±22.2 vs 77.9±18.3, p=0.021). Lower scores on the SF-36 PCS were associated with increasing ocular pain (p=0.027), and higher HADS total score (p<0.001) and PROS total score (p=0.004). Lower scores on the SF-36 MCS were related to higher educational level (p=0.014) and higher HADS total score (p<0.001).
Conclusions :
Adult individuals with congenital aniridia rate their HRQOL as worse than the general population does. Women with aniridia report poorer general health, while men report reduced social function. Poorer HRQOL in individuals with aniridia is associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, obesity, and pain.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.