Quality of Life With and Without Using Smart Phone Among Visually Impaired People

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The quality of life (QoL) of blind people is affected by various variables, including age, sex, level of education, severity of low vision, use of applications and software, etc. This research aims to compare the QoL of people with low vision who use and do not use low-vision applications on smartphones. Methods: The statistical population included all patients with low vision who were referred to low vision research centers and other institutions active in the field of blindness and low vision in Tehran City, Iran. The sample size of this study was 43 people using the conviniece sampling method and Cochran’s formula, which was considered to be 90 people due to the existence of two groups for comparison. The research data collection tool was Hakimzadeh Yazdi’s QoL questionnaire (2022). Two-way one-variable analysis of variance and SPSS software, version 21 were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that people with low vision who use low-vision applications have a higher QoL compared to people with low-vision who do not use low-vision applications (P<0.05). Also, the effect of demographic variables on the QoL of low-vision patients using and not using applications was presented (P<0.05). Age and gender had no significant effect on QoL. Conclusion: Considering the impact of applications in facilitating the daily affairs of low vision patients, it is recommended to use it in treatment and educational programs in hospitals and even in the family.