QUALITY OF LIFE OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN RELATION TO GENDER

Abstract

The aim of the research was to determine the quality of life of visually impaired respondents in relation to gender. The research included 99 patients with cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus and eye injuries with a residual vision of 50% (visual acuity ≤0.5). All were in the terminal phase of the disease. For the purpose of the research, a survey questionnaire was used, which, in addition to sociodemographic data, also consists of a vision questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), version 2000. The vision questionnaire is used by the National Vision Institute. The difference in the quality of life of the respondents was determined in relation to gender and diagnosis. For all 25 questions divided into three areas that refer to the respondents' assessment of the following elements: general health, vision, eye pain, distance and near activities, a discriminant analysis was performed. The results of the research confirmed that vision impairment affects the quality of life of the patient, as well as that there is a difference between the male and female respondents in the applied measuring instrument system. The greatest influence of different degrees of visual impairment was evident in the area of reading and access to information, somewhat less in the area of orientation and movement, and the smallest in the area of the patients' emotional state. The age of the respondents ranged from 5 to 78 years. The majority of respondents were men 50 (50.50%). The average chronological age of male respondents is 47.50±21.56 years, and female respondents 50.12±20.85. In the total sample, 45.5% of respondents have cataracts, 29.3% have glaucoma, 11.1% have strabismus and 14.1% have an eye injury. 47.5% of respondents consider their health to be average, 44.4% consider it to be above average, while 8.1% of respondents consider it to be below average. A higher percentage of male respondents have glaucoma (38%) and injuries/trauma (20%) compared to female respondents. A higher percentage of female respondents (55.1%) state that their quality of life is above average, while the percentage of male respondents is 34%. Quality of life is average for 56% of male respondents and 38.8% of female respondents.