Vision-related Quality of Life in Korean Glaucoma Patients.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to evaluate vision-related quality of life in Korean glaucoma patients and to explore the associated factors.


METHODS
A total of 907 glaucoma patients were recruited from the prospectively designed LIGHT (Life quality of the glaucoma patient who underwent treatment) study organized by the Korean Glaucoma Society. Basic questionnaire that included items related to socioeconomic status, comorbidity, and lifestyle, and the validated Korean version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) were collected. The Rasch score, a logit-based interval scale estimate to summarizing the NEI VFQ-25 responses, was calculated. The univariate and multivariable regression models were used to evaluate associations between the Rasch score and variables.


RESULTS
The mean patient age was 58.1±14.1 years, visual field mean deviation (VF MD) of the better and worse eyes was -4.92±6.14 and -9.77±8.31 dB, binocular-integrated VF (IVF) MD was -3.55±5.31 dB, respectively. The lower NEI VFQ-25 Rasch score showed a significant association with the presence of other ocular diseases (P=0.020), a high school level of education or less [vs. university (P=0.006), vs. graduate school or higher (P=0.019)], an anxious personality [vs. a moderate personality (P<0.001), vs. a relaxed personality (P<0.001)], the number of glaucoma medications in use (P=0.049), worse eye visual acuity (P<0.001), and IVF MD (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Visual function parameters are important for the vision-related quality of life of Korean glaucoma patients, notably for worse eye visual acuity and IVF MD. However, social factors, self-assessed personality, and treatment-related issues are also substantial predictors of overall life quality.
*Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Ulsan †Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University Hospital ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul St. Mary's Catholic Hospital §Kim's Eye Hospital ∥Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University Hospital ¶Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital #Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine **Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University ††Cheil Eye Hospital, Seoul ‡‡Department of Applied Statistics, Gachon University, Seongnam §§Department of Ophthalmology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
Kyung Rim
KR
Sung
Yeoun Sook
YS
Chun
Chan Kee
CK
Park
Hwang Ki
HK
Kim
Chungkwon
C
Yoo
Yong Yeon
YY
Kim
Ki Ho
KH
Park
Chan Yun
CY
Kim
Kyu-Ryong
KR
Choi
Kyoo Won
KW
Lee
Seungbong
S
Han
Chang-Sik
CS
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult