Sensory impairment and quality of life in a community elderly population.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between quality of life measures and sensory impairment in aged individuals living at home.


METHODS
Survey


METHODS
A community survey, carried out in the historical center of a town in Northern Italy.


METHODS
1191 non-institutionalized elders (age 70-75 years).


METHODS
Comprehensive QOL questionnaire, free-field voice testing, and Snellen eye chart.


RESULTS
Single sensory impairments (either visual or auditory) were significantly and independently associated with increased risk for depression (odds ratio: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.4; OR:1.8, CI:1.1-2.7, respectively) and decreased self-sufficiency in daily living activities (OR:1.7, CI:1.1-2.6; OR:2.1, CI:1.4-3.2, respectively). Visual dysfunction, but not hearing dysfunction, was independently associated with lower social relationships (OR:2.0, CI:1.3-3.1).


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of life of community-dwelling elderly people is significantly linked to sensory impairment, which can be detected through simple physical examination. Mood level and social relationships are particularly affected by visual impairment, whereas self-sufficiency in daily living is more strongly related to hearing impairment.
Carabellese
C
C
Geriatric Research Group, Brescia, Italy.
Appollonio
I
I
Rozzini
R
R
Bianchetti
A
A
Frisoni
G B
GB
Frattola
L
L
Trabucchi
M
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009017:Morbidity; D011788:Quality of Life; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology