Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Quality of Life Research
Published in: Quality of Life Research 8/2012

Open Access 01-10-2012 | Brief Communication

The impact of low vision on activities of daily living, symptoms of depression, feelings of anxiety and social support in community-living older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services

Authors: Gertrudis I. J. M. Kempen, Judith Ballemans, Adelita V. Ranchor, Ger H. M. B. van Rens, G. A. Rixt Zijlstra

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 8/2012

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

Previous studies showed that older persons with vision loss generally reported low levels of health-related quality of life, although study outcomes with respect to feelings of anxiety and social support were inconsistent. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of low vision on health-related quality of life, including feelings of anxiety and social support, among community-living older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services.

Methods

Differences of activities of daily living (Groningen Activity Restriction Scale—GARS), symptoms of depression and feelings of anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales—HADS) and social support (Social Support Scale Interactions—SSL12-I) between 148 older persons ≥57 years with low vision and a reference population (N = 4,792) including eight patient groups with different chronic conditions were tested with Student’s t tests.

Results

Older persons with vision loss reported poorer levels of functioning with respect to activities of daily living, symptoms of depression and feelings of anxiety as compared to the general older population as well as compared to older patients with different chronic conditions. In contrast, older persons with vision loss reported higher levels of social support.

Conclusions

Vision loss has a substantial impact on activities of daily living, symptoms of depression and feelings of anxiety. Professionals working at vision rehabilitation services may improve their quality of care as they take such information into account in their intervention work.
Literature
1.
Massow, R. W. (2002). A model for the prevalence and incidence of low vision and blindness among adults in the US. Optometry and Vision Science, 79, 31–38.CrossRef
2.
Limburg, H., & Keunen, J. E. E. (2009). Blindness and low vision in The Netherlands from 2000 to 2020: Modeling as a tool for focused intervention. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 16, 362–369.PubMedCrossRef
3.
4.
Alma, M. A., Van der Mei, A. F., Melis-Dankers, B. J. M., Van Tilburg, T. G., Groothoff, J. W., & Suurmeijer, T. H. P. B. M. (2011). Participation of the elderly after vision loss. Disability and Rehabilitation, 33, 63–72.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Kempen, G. I. J. M., Verbrugge, L. M., Merrill, S. S., & Ormel, J. (1998). The impact of multiple impairments on disability in community-dwelling older persons. Age and Ageing, 27, 595–604.PubMedCrossRef
6.
Wallhagen, M. I., Strawbridge, W. J., Shema, S. J., Kurata, J., & Kaplan, G. A. (2001). Comparative impact of hearing and vision impairment on subsequent functioning. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 49, 1086–1092.PubMedCrossRef
7.
Williams, R. A., Brody, B. L., Thomas, R. G., Kaplan, R. M., & Brown, S. I. (1998). The psychosocial impact of macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology, 116, 514–520.PubMed
8.
Scott, I. U., Smiddy, W. E., Schiffman, J., Feuer, W. J., & Pappas, C. J. (1999). Quality of life of low-vision patients and the impact of low-vision services. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 128, 54–62.PubMedCrossRef
9.
Augustin, A., Sahel, J. A., Bandello, F., Dardennes, R., Maurel, F., Negrini, C., et al. (2007). Anxiety and depression prevalence rates in age-related macular degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 48, 1498–1503.CrossRef
10.
Burmedi, D., Becker, S., Heyl, V., Wahl, H. W., & Himmelsbach, I. (2002). Emotional and social consequences of age-related low vision: A narrative review. Visual Impairment Research, 4, 47–71.CrossRef
11.
Evans, J. R., Fletcher, A. E., & Wormald, R. P. L. (2007). Depression and anxiety in visually impaired older people. Ophthalmology, 114, 283–288.PubMedCrossRef
12.
Hayman, K. J., Kerse, N. M., La Grow, S. J., Wouldes, T., Robertson, M. C., & Campbell, A. J. (2007). Depression in older people: Visual impairment and subjective ratings of health. Optometry and Vision Science, 84, 1024–1030.PubMedCrossRef
13.
Horowitz, A., Reinhardt, J. P., & Kennedy, G. J. (2005). Major and subthreshold depression among older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 180–187.PubMed
14.
Chia, E. M., Wang, J. J., Rochtchina, E., Smith, W., Cumming, R. R., & Mitchel, P. (2004). Impact of bilateral visual impairment on health-related quality of life: The Blue Mountains eye study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 48, 1498–1503.
15.
Lamoureux, E. L., Fenwick, E., Moore, K., Klaic, M., Borschmann, K., & Hill, K. (2009). Impact of the severity of distance and near-vision impairment on depression and vision-specific quality of life in older people living in residential care. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 50, 4103–4109.CrossRef
16.
La Grow, S., Alpass, F., Stephens, C., & Towers, A. (2011). Factors affecting perceived quality of life of older persons with self-reported disability. Quality of Life Research, 20, 407–413.PubMedCrossRef
17.
Langelaan, M., de Boer, M. R., Van Nispen, R. M. A., Wouters, B., Moll, A. C., & Van Rens, G. H. M. B. (2007). Impact of visual impairment on quality of life: A comparison with quality of life in the general population and with other chronic conditions. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 14, 119–126.PubMedCrossRef
18.
McKean-Cowden, R., Varma, R., Wu, J., Hays, R. D., & Azen, S. P. (2007). Severity of visual field loss and health-related quality of life. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 143, 1013–1023.CrossRef
19.
Wang, C. W., Chan, C. L. W., Ho, A. H. Y., & Xiong, Z. (2008). Social networks and health-related quality of life among Chinese older adults with vision impairment. Journal of Aging and Health, 20, 804–823.PubMedCrossRef
20.
Ballemans, J., Zijlstra, G. A. R., Van Rens, G. H. M. B., Schouten, J. S. A. G., & Kempen, G. I. J. M. (submitted, available upon request). Usefulness and acceptability of a standardised orientation and mobility training for partially-sighted older adults using an identification cane.
21.
Zijlstra, G. A. R., Van Rens, G. H. M. B., Scherder, E. J. A., Brouwer, D. M., Van der Velde, J., Verstraten, P. F. J., et al. (2009). Effects and feasibility of a standardised orientation and mobility training in using an identification cane for older adults with low vision: Design of a randomised trial. BMC Health Services Research, 9, 153.PubMedCrossRef
22.
Kempen, G. I. J. M., Ormel, J., Brilman, E. I., & Relyveld, J. (1997). Adaptive responses among Dutch elderly: The impact of eight chronic conditions on health-related quality of life. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 38–44.PubMedCrossRef
23.
Kempen, G. I. J. M., Miedema, I., Ormel, J., & Molenaar, W. (1996). The assessment of disability with the Groningen activity restriction scale. Conceptual framework and psychometric properties. Social Science and Medicine, 43, 1601–1610.PubMedCrossRef
24.
Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983). The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 361–370.PubMedCrossRef
25.
Spinhoven, P. H., Ormel, J., Sloekers, P. P. A., Kempen, G. I. J. M., Speckens, A. E. M., & Van Hemert, A. M. (1997). A validation study of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) in different groups of Dutch subjects. Psychological Medicine, 27, 363–370.PubMedCrossRef
26.
Kempen, G. I. J. M., & Van Eijk, L. M. (1995). The psychometric properties of the SSL12-I: A short scale for measuring social support in the elderly. Social Indicators Research, 35, 303–312.CrossRef
27.
Kempen, G. I. J. M., Brilman, E. I., & Ormel, J. (1998). Groningen longitudinal aging study. Een onderzoek naar het dagelijks functioneren, het welbevinden en de zorgbehoefte van ouderen. Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 29, 141–149. (in Dutch).PubMed
28.
Motulsky, H. J. (1999). Analyzing data with GraphPad prism. San Diego, CA: GraphPad Software.
Metadata
Title
The impact of low vision on activities of daily living, symptoms of depression, feelings of anxiety and social support in community-living older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services
Authors
Gertrudis I. J. M. Kempen
Judith Ballemans
Adelita V. Ranchor
Ger H. M. B. van Rens
G. A. Rixt Zijlstra
Publication date
01-10-2012
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Quality of Life Research / Issue 8/2012
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0061-y

Other articles of this Issue 8/2012

Quality of Life Research 8/2012 Go to the issue

OriginalPaper

Association between adherence to physical activity guidelines and health-related quality of life among individuals with physician-diagnosed arthritis

OriginalPaper

Using three legacy measures to develop a health-related quality of life tool for young adult survivors of childhood cancer

OriginalPaper

Mental quality of life in chronic fatigue is associated with an accommodative coping style and neuroticism: a path analysis

Brief Communication

Validation of the Dutch version of the VascuQol questionnaire and the Amsterdam linear disability score in patients with intermittent claudication

OriginalPaper

The Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life 19 (ADDQoL): feasibility, reliability and validity in a population-based sample of Australian adults

OriginalPaper

The importance of assessing for depression with HRQOL in treatment seeking obese youth and their caregivers