Quality of life in patients with glaucoma who live in a developing country.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the functional status and well-being in glaucoma patients who live in a developing country.


METHODS
Cross-sectional case control study, comprising 102 glaucoma patients and 58 controls. All subjects were administered the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form survey (SF-36). SF-36 scores for study and control groups were compared. Statistical analysis included Student's t-test for score data and Student's t- and chi-square tests for demographic data.


RESULTS
Patients with glaucoma had significantly lower scores than healthy control subjects (p < 0.05) in five domains of the SF-36 survey (physical functioning, role-emotional, bodily pain, social functioning and mental health). Bodily pain was the domain with the lowest score.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with glaucoma who live in a developing country have less functional status than non-glaucomatous patients.
Department of Ophthalmology, Santa Casa of São Paulo Central Hospital and Santa Casa of São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil.
Marcela C
MC
Cypel
Niro
N
Kasahara
Denise
D
Atique
Cristiano C
CC
Umbelino
Mônica P A
MP
Alcântara
Francisco S
FS
Seixas
Geraldo V
GV
de Almeida
Carmo
C
Mandia
Ralph
R
Cohen
D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires