Impact of blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgery on quality of life and visual functioning among adults aged 40 years and above in Sri Lanka

Aims

To assess associations of visual function (VF) and quality of life (QOL) by presenting visual acuity (PVA) and causes of blindness and visual impairment.

Methods

Multi-stage cluster random sampling was used to identify a nationally representative sample of persons aged ≥ 40 years in Sri Lanka. Previously validated VF and QOL measurement instruments were administered to participants who were blind or severely visually impaired due to cataract, or refractive errors, those with moderate severe visual impairment of any cause and a sample of those with normal/near normal vision (VA ≥6/12 in the better eye). Questionnaires were also administered to persons who had undergone cataract surgery in one or both eyes and had a post-operative vision ≥ 6/60.

Results

The Cronbach α coefficients showed that the VF and QOL subscales had satisfactory internal consistency and reliability. Mean VF/QOL scores of individuals who were blind (presenting VA < 3/60 in the better eye) were significantly lower and the maximal difficulty in performing VF tasks and QOL-related activities. Persons visually impaired from cataract had the greatest difficulty in performing VF activities and QOL domains on all the items in the VF and QOL questionnaires. Persons operated for cataract had much better VF/QOL outcomes compared to those who were visually impaired due to cataract.

Conclusions

VF and QOL self-reported questionnaires are very useful to monitor patient-reported functional benefit from blindness control interventions in low and middle- income countries like Sri Lanka.