The relationship of visual and hearing impairments to disability: an analysis using the longitudinal study of aging.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the relationships of visual impairment and hearing impairments to physical disability. The purpose of this work is to determine if persons 70 years of age and over with these impairments are at risk for increased disability in basic physical activities of daily living (ADLs) compared to persons without these impairments.


METHODS
We used as our data source the baseline (1984) and the 1988 reinterview from the Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized persons 70 years of age and older. To determine the relationships of visual impairment and hearing impairment to future four-year disability, we used multiple variable modeling, controlling for demographic variables, selected chronic conditions, and baseline disability.


RESULTS
Persons with visual impairment were 1.37 (95% CI:1.20-1.57) times more likely to have increased disability in ADLs than those without visual impairment. Hearing impairment was not independently related to increased ADL disability.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual impairment by itself is an independent risk factor for future ADL disability. In light of the enlarging older population, maneuvers to ameliorate visual impairment may help to minimize the increase in numbers of disabled persons.
Rudberg
M A
MA
Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.
Furner
S E
SE
Dunn
J E
JE
Cassel
C K
CK
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders