Changes in quality of life during social isolation in elderly patients with visual impairment

Aim – to determine the nature of changes in the quality of life in social isolation and risk factors associated with it in elderly patients with visual impairment. Material and methods. A clinical group was formed of 115 participants with visual impairment aged 60–74 years who were in conditions of social isolation for a month. In accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, social isolation was determined on the basis of a 15-point scale, and a questionnaire on quality of life was used to measure changes in the quality of life. Risk factors included socio-demographic, clinical categories and indicators of functional status. Results. The results of linear mixed models with random intersections comparing quality of life indicators before (3.30) and after social isolation (1.78) were significant (p0.001). During social isolation, 87% of participants with visual impairment experienced a decrease in quality of life (-2.39), while 13% of participants had an increase in quality of life (0.58). The following risk factors were associated with social isolation: low income (38%, p0.001), lack of higher education (29%, p=0.002), lung disease (25%, p=0.04), functional or sensory disorders, including difficulties with cooking (28%, p=0.004), difficulty in walking the distance of one block (26%, p=0.03), hearing impairment (23%, p=0.02) and visual impairment (24%, p=0.01). Gender (p=0.39), ongoing pain (p=0.75), difficulties with daily activities (p=0.09), urinary incontinence (p=0.82), diabetes mellitus (p=0.87) and cognitive impairment (p=0.06) were insignificant. Conclusion. The period of social isolation led to a very significant decrease in the overall quality of life in the sample of elderly people with visual impairment. The leading risk factors for social exclusion were low income and lack of higher education.