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Family Practice Advance Access published online on July 29, 2005
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmi067
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© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Received September 3, 2004
Accepted June 24, 2005

Article

Self-reported visual function in healthy older people in Britain: an exploratory study of associations with age, sex, depression, education and income

Steve Iliffe 1*, Kalpa Kharicha 1, Danielle Harari 2, Cameron Swift 3, Gerhard Gillmann 4, and Andreas Stuck 5

1 Department of Primary care & Population sciences, Royal Free & UCL Medical School, Hampstead Campus, Rowland Hill St., London NW3 2PF, UK
2 Department of Ageing & Health, St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 7EH, UK
3 Clinical Age Research Unit, Kings College London, Kings College Hospital, Bessemer Rd, London SE5 9PJ, UK
4 Institute of Social & Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
5 Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Spital Bern-Ziegler, Morillonstr. 75, 3001 Bern, Switzerland

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Steve Iliffe, E-mail: s.iliffe{at}pcps.ucl.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background. Tractable but undetected visual impairment in older people may be relatively common, particularly amongst the very old and in more deprived populations. Measurement of visual acuity is unlikely to be helpful in identifying this impairment, but targeted assessment of visual function may be beneficial. There is uncertainty about the defining characteristics of the target group.

Objective. To explore factors associated with self-reported visual impairment in community dwelling older people.

Methods. Design: secondary cross sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomised controlled trial. Setting: three large group practices in outer London. Participants: older people aged 65 and over enrolled in a study of health risk appraisal. Method: postal questionnaire using questions from the National Eye Institute Visual Function questionnaire.

Results. Moderate or extreme visual function loss occurred in 4 to 12% of community-dwelling older people in this population, depending on which aspect of visual function is considered. Visual function loss increases in prevalence with advancing age, but is not associated with female sex, low educational attainment or low income. It is associated with depressed mood.

Conclusion. Questions about visual function identify a group of older people whose vision and mental state needs further investigation.

Keywords: Depression; general practice; older people; visual function.
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