Vision-Related Quality of Life and Its Related Factors Among Older Adults

Background: Vision impairment (VI) becomes more prevalent with age, negatively affecting the vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) of older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the status of VRQoL and related factors among older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 247 older adults randomly selected from comprehensive health centers in Yazd, Iran, in 2021. The data were collected through an interview using a demographic information questionnaire, self-reported eye diseases, and the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25), and analyzed using independent t-tests, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analysis with SPSS. Results: Hyperopia (38.2%), cataract (35.5%), and myopia (31.3%) were the most common age-related eye diseases (ARED) among participants. The participants’ average VRQoL score was 85.37±15.24 on a scale of 0–100. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the VRQoL score was significantly related to age, marital status, use of glasses, and certain diseases and ARED (P<0.05). Based on hierarchical regression, demographics explained 25% of VRQoL variance. Adding common diseases and ARED increased it to 51% and 71% (all P<0.001). Diabetes (β=-0.15, P=0.030), hypertension (HTN) (β=-0.20, P=0.009), and ARED (β=-0.62, P<0.001) remained the most significant predictors of VRQoL in the model. Conclusion: The participants’ VRQoL was at a favorable level. Given that VRQoL is affected by numerous factors (chronic diseases and VI), policymakers should consider them when planning interventions (prioritizing optometry services and the early diagnosis of VI) for the aging population.