title: Health-related quality of life of children with vision impairment or blindness.
abstract: The aims of the study were to describe the functional ability, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of young children with a vision impairment or blindness (VI/BL) and to examine the effect of different types of ophthalmic condition and the presence of other impairments or systemic disorders. A cross-sectional community survey of children aged 3 to 8 years with VI/BL was conducted in four areas of England using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 system. Seventy-nine children (47 males, 32 females; mean age 6 y 2 mo [SD 1 y 6 mo]) met the selection criteria: 43% had a visual pathway condition, 38% a condition of the eye, and 19% nystagmus alone; and 61% had additional impairments/disorders. Eighty per cent had functional limitations on at least two of the following attributes: vision, hearing, speech, cognition, ambulation, dexterity, emotion, and pain. Forty-four per cent had functional limitations on four or more attributes. Children with nystagmus alone had significantly higher mean HRQL utility scores (0.80 [SD 0.26]) than children with a condition of the eye (0.45 [SD 0.33]), who, in turn, had higher scores than children with a visual pathway condition (0.05 [SD 0.33], p=0.002). Children with an isolated VI/BL had significantly higher mean scores (0.73 [SD 0.21]) than those with additional impairments/disorders (0.09 [SD 0.34], p<0.001). These findings underline the need for a broad assessment of each child with VI/BL and a multidisciplinary approach to care.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Care, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and Department of Paediatrics, St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK. mgboulton@brookes.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulton
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fielder
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*