title: Health-related quality of life among people aged ≥65 years with self-reported visual impairment: findings from the 2006-2010 behavioral risk factor surveillance system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and visual impairment among people aged ≥65 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used cross-sectional data from the 2006-2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine six HRQoL measures: self-reported health, physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, activity limitation days, life satisfaction, and disability. Visual impairment was categorized as no, a little, and moderate/severe. We examined the association between self-reported visual impairment and HRQoL using logistic regression accounting for the survey's complex design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People with self-reported moderate/severe visual impairment had more frequent (≥14) physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days in the last 30 days compared to those reporting a little or no visual impairment. After controlling for all covariates (age, sex, marital status, race/ethnicity, education, income, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, body mass index, leisure time activity, smoking, and medical care cost concerns) and comparing to those with no self-reported visual impairment, people reporting a little visual impairment were more likely to have fair/poor health (odds ratio, OR, 1.2, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.1-1.3), life dissatisfaction (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.0), and disability (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.6), and those with self-reported moderate/severe visual impairment had more fair/poor health (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.6-2.0), life dissatisfaction (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.9), and disability (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.8-2.2). They also had more frequent physically unhealthy days (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7-2.1), mentally unhealthy days (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.1), and activity limitations days (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.6-2.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor HRQoL is strongly associated with the severity of self-reported visual impairment among people aged ≥65 years.
authors: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, GA , USA.
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Crews
authors: Chiu-Fang
authors: CF
authors: Chou
authors: Xinzhi
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Matthew M
authors: MM
authors: Zack
authors: Jinan B
authors: JB
authors: Saaddine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006302:Health Services Research; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Aging; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; health related quality of life; vision impairment