A health education program for elderly persons with visual impairments and perceived security in the performance of daily occupations: a randomized study.

Abstract

The purpose of this randomized, longitudinal study was to investigate the impact of a health education program on perceived security in the performance of daily occupations 4 months after the intervention period. Two groups of persons with age-related macular degeneration were compared: Those who had followed a newly developed health education program that was based on occupation and those who took part in a standard individual intervention program. Significant differences in the level of perceived security between the groups were found for 13 of 28 occupations. Participants in the health education group maintained or improved their level of perceived security in 22 daily occupations, whereas those in the individual intervention group declined to a lower level in 17 daily occupations. This study provides support for the effectiveness of the health education program to enhance security and hinder a progressive decline in perceived security in daily occupations.