Social Networks and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Chinese Older Adults With Vision Impairment

Abstract

This study examines the associations between social networks and vision-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Chinese older adults. Urban older adults with visual problems (N = 167) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to assess self-reported visual functioning, general health, social networks, and vision-specific HRQOL. Objective visual function was clinically measured by ophthalmologists in terms of distance visual acuity. Findings indicate that age-related vision loss is significantly associated with older adults' social networks. Multiple regression analyses show that social networks are mildly related to vision-specific HRQOL even after controlling for other variables, and that friendship network was a significant predictor, independent of family network, of vision-specific HRQOL. Previous studies have emphasized the importance of family network, whereas this study finds that friendship network correlates more strongly with HRQOL measures among Chinese visually impaired older adults. This suggests a need to expand intervention beyond the family system.