title: Self-reported visual function in healthy older people in Britain: an exploratory study of associations with age, sex, depression, education and income.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tractable but undetected visual impairment in older people may be relatively common, particularly amongst the very old and in more deprived populations. Measurement of visual acuity is unlikely to be helpful in identifying this impairment, but targeted assessment of visual function may be beneficial. There is uncertainty about the defining characteristics of the target group.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore factors associated with self-reported visual impairment in community dwelling older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  secondary cross sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  three large group practices in outer London.
  
  
  METHODS
  older people aged 65 and over enrolled in a study of health risk appraisal.
  
  
  METHODS
  postal questionnaire using questions from the National Eye Institute Visual Function questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderate or extreme visual function loss occurred in 4 to 12% of community-dwelling older people in this population reporting less than excellent vision, depending on which aspect of visual function is considered. Visual function loss in this subgroup increases in prevalence with advancing age, but is not associated with female sex, low educational attainment or low income. It is associated with depressed mood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Questions about visual function identify a group of older people whose vision and mental state needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary care and Population sciences, Royal Free & UCL Medical School, Hampstead Campus, London NW3 2PF, UK. s.iliffe@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iliffe
authors.forename: Kalpa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kharicha
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gillmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012923:Social Class; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities