Evaluation and comparison of quality of life in different categories of low vision

Abstract

Objectives: To study the quality of life (QoL) in patients with low vision and comparison of QoL in patients with moderate and severe visual impairment. Material and Methods: Category 1 comprised of a total of 100 cases of low vision who belonged to category of moderate visual impairment and Category 2 comprised of a total of age matched 100 patients with low vision who belonged to the category of severe visual impairment.Results: Mean age of Category 1 patients was 59.26±12.61 years and 60.49±9.75 years in Category 2 (p> 0.05). Mean comparison of various questions asked related to IOL during the study period was found to be statistically significant, when compared between the two categories. It shows that Category 2 people have more difficulty in reading ordinary print in newspaper, seeing how people react to things, going to street festivals / fairs and accomplish less than they would because of their vision. They relied too much on others because of their eye sight. Based on NEI-VFQ-25, Category 2 people have more difficulty in reading small print in telephone book, on a medicine bottle, or on legal forms, reading and outdoor activities. Conclusion: Low vision affects quality of life of patients in both categories: Category 2 people have more difficulty in reading and outdoor activities to rely too much on other people because of their eye sight.