title: Mobility, satisfaction with functional capacity and perceived quality of life (PQOL) in older persons with self-reported visual impairment: the pathway between ability to get around and PQOL.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research shows that ability to get around (AGA) is significantly associated with perceived quality of life (PQOL) among older persons with self-reported visual impairment. Much of this impact, however, is through satisfaction with one's functional capacity. Satisfaction with functional capacity is a construct composed of five items: satisfaction with (1) activities of daily living, (2) capacity to work, (3) self, (4) health and (5) sleep. At present, it is not known how AGA interacts individually with these items to influence PQOL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which AGA interacts with each of these five items to affect PQOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural equation modelling was employed in a secondary-analysis of data from 356 persons (aged 56-72) with self-reported visual impairment to identify the pathways by which AGA affects PQOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Satisfaction with self and health were the only items found to be both directly related to QOL and to provide a significant pathway between AGA and PQOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGA significantly affects PQOL both directly and indirectly through its impact on people's satisfaction with self and health. Lessons may be learnt from this to better focus mobility interventions to enhance PQOL in this population.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Services and.
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Towers
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Grow
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alpass
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stephens
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation
keywords: Functional capacity; mobility; older people; quality of life; vision