The effects of strabismus on quality of life in adults.
OBJECTIVE
As a first step in the development of a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument, we conducted in-depth interviews to identify the specific concerns of adults with strabismus.


METHODS
Prospective cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Thirty adults with strabismus, 17 with diplopia, and 13 without were recruited. Individual interviews, using 11 open-ended questions, were audiotaped, transcribed, and transcripts reviewed independently by three investigators. Phrases regarding how strabismus affected everyday life were grouped into topic areas and the frequency of each topic analyzed for subjects with and without diplopia.


RESULTS
A total of 1,508 phrases were extracted: 207 (14%) of 1,508 were excluded because they did not pertain to HRQOL. From the remaining 1,301 phrases, 48 topic areas were apparent. For patients with diplopia, the most frequently occurring topics were: nonspecific negative feeling (15/17; 88%) ("really hard"); general disability (15/17; 88%) ("affects everything"); and driving (14/17; 82%). In those without diplopia, the most frequently mentioned topics were appearance to others (12/13; 92%) ("people notice my eyes") followed by problems with eye contact (10/13; 77%) and interpersonal relationships (10/13; 77%). Of the topics that were common to both groups (n = 42), two of the most frequent were driving and nonspecific negative feeling.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple individual interviews revealed many topics that negatively affect quality of life in patients with strabismus. The frequency and type of concerns confirm the importance of HRQOL assessment as an important aspect of strabismus management.
Hatt
Sarah R
SR
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Leske
David A
DA
Kirgis
Penny A
PA
Bradley
Elizabeth A
EA
Holmes
Jonathan M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004172:Diplopia / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013285:Strabismus / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Strabismus. 2004 Sep;12(3):181-93
15370526
Am J Ophthalmol. 2007 Feb;143(2):305-310
17157801
Br J Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul;90(7):883-8
16782950
J AAPOS. 2005 Oct;9(5):455-9
16213395
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2002 Jul-Aug;39(4):203-8
12148552
Optom Vis Sci. 1997 Feb;74(2):105-10
9097327
Arch Ophthalmol. 1993 Aug;111(8):1100-5
8166786
CMAJ. 1986 Apr 15;134(8):889-95
3955482
J Med Ethics. 1984 Sep;10(3):124-7
6334159
Ophthalmology. 2004 Jun;111(6):1255-62
15177982
Pharmacoeconomics. 2002;20(12):791-812
12236802
J AAPOS. 1999 Aug;3(4):209-11
10477222
Ophthalmology. 2000 Feb;107(2):402-5
10690845
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1997 May-Jun;34(3):159-64
9168420