Assessment of Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Vision Impairment Aged 30 Years and Above at Saidu Teaching Hospital, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35845/abms.2026.1.519Keywords:
Activities of Daily Living, NEIVFQ-25, Vision Disorders, Vision Disability, Visual Acuity, Visual Field Loss, Visual Functions, Vision-related Quality of LifeAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) of people with VI and identify the association of demographic, physical and psychosocial factors to VRQOL.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess VRQOL in people with VI aged 30 years and above visiting the Ophthalmology department at Saidu Teaching Hospital, Swat (STHS). A total of 450 participants were involved consecutively; a validated tool, NEIVFQ-25, was used to evaluate VRQOL. Correlation, chi-square, and linear regression were used to assess the associations between VI, demographic characteristics, and the accomplishment of routine activities, with p <0.05 considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 58.5 years, with 54.2% female. Participants with occupation “labourer”, 10 years of education, having profound VI with visual acuity (VA) =1.3 or blindness (VA>1.3 log MAR) had significantly (p <0.05) low VRQOL scores. In comparison, participants aged 51 to 60 years had lower VRQOL scores for driving and tasks such as focusing on distant objects, with a p <0.05.
CONCLUSION: A significant impact on VRQOL was observed in people with VI. The findings can be helpful for patients and clinicians in understanding the effects of VI and devising a suitable and culturally acceptable rehabilitative strategy to improve VRQOL and, hence, the standard of living.
References
Raharja A, Whitefield L. Clinical approach to vision loss: a review for general physicians. Clinical Medicine. 2022 Mar 1;22(2):95-9.
Almpanidou S, Almaliotis D, Labiris G, Topouzis F, Dardavesis T, Karampatakis V. Design of a novel low vision questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life and independence. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2019 Dec;97.
Fenwick EK, Ong PG, Man RE, Cheng CY, Sabanayagam C, Wong TY, Lamoureux EL. Association of vision impairment and major eye diseases with mobility and independence in a Chinese population. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2016 Oct;134(10):1087-93.
Fricke TR, Tahhan N, Resnikoff S, Papas E, Burnett A, Ho SM, Naduvilath T, Naidoo KS. Global prevalence of presbyopia and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia: systematic review, meta-analysis, and modelling. Ophthalmology. 2018 Oct 1;125(10):1492-9.
Chaudhuri M, Hassan Y, Vemana PP, Pattanashetty MS, Abdin ZU, Siddiqui HF, CHAUDHURI M. Age-related macular degeneration: an exponentially emerging imminent threat of visual impairment and irreversible blindness. Cureus. 2023 May 29;15(5).
Terheyden JH, Finger RP. Vision-related quality of life with low vision-assessment and instruments. Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde. 2019 Mar 21;236(3):261-8.
Al-Ghamdi AS. Adults' visual impairment and blindness–An overview of prevalence and causes in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Ophthalmology. 2019 Oct 1;33(4):374-81.
Mohmand na, Khan RS, Ullah A, Alam A. Refractive Errors in Children of 11 to 16 Years of Age Group attending Eye OPD at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;16(10).
Bigdeli S, Arab M, Hadian M, Tajvar M. Vision-related quality of life of older people in Tehran and their access and utilisation of eye care services. Iranian Journal of Public Health. 2022 Aug;51(8):1857.
Hashemi H, Khabazkhoob M, Rezvan F, Yekta A. Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in elderly population; an urgent geriatric health issue: Tehran Geriatric Eye Study (TGES). Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 2023 May 4;30(3):249-59.
Yibekal BT, Alemu DS, Anbesse DH, Alemayehu AM, Alimaw YA. Vision‐Related Quality of Life among Adult Patients with Visual Impairment at University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Journal of Ophthalmology. 2020;2020(1):9056097.
Jones N, Bartlett HE, Cooke R. An analysis of the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and vision-related quality of life in a visually impaired adult population. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 2019 Jan;37(1):50-63.
Li S, Ye E, Huang J, Wang J, Zhao Y, Niu D, Yue S, Huang X, Liu J, Hou X, Wu J. Global, regional, and national years lived with disability due to blindness and vision loss from 1990 to 2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Frontiers in public health. 2022 Oct 28;10:1033495.
Ali SM, Appolloni A, Cavallaro F, D’Adamo I, Di Vaio A, Ferella F, Gastaldi M, Ikram M, Kumar NM, Martin MA, Nizami AS. Development goals towards sustainability. Sustainability. 2023 Jun 12;15(12):9443.
Pezzullo L, Streatfeild J, Simkiss P, Shickle D. The economic impact of sight loss and blindness in the UK adult population. BMC Health Services Research. 2018 Jan 30;18(1):63.
Hassan B, Ahmed R, Li B, Noor A, Hassan ZU. A comprehensive study capturing vision loss burden in Pakistan (1990-2025): Findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study. PloS one. 2019 May 3;14(5):e0216492.
Kausar A, Ali M, Masud H, Akhtar F. Vision-related quality of life in Pakistani subjects with early or moderate glaucoma. International Health. 2018 Nov 1;10(6):517-23.
Wang X, Cheng Z. Cross-sectional studies: strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations. Chest. 2020 Jul 1;158(1):S65-71.
Lee JS, Lin KK, Hou CH, Li PR, See LC. Chinese version of the vision-related quality of life (NEI-VFQ-25) among patients with various ocular disorders: a pilot study. Medicina. 2022 Apr 27;58(5):602.
Assi L, Chamseddine F, Ibrahim P, Sabbagh H, Rosman L, Congdon N, Evans J, Ramke J, Kuper H, Burton MJ, Ehrlich JR. A global assessment of eye health and quality of life: a systematic review of systematic reviews. JAMA ophthalmology. 2021 May;139(5):526-41.
Landsend EC, von der Lippe C, Mediå L, Miller JU, Berge KE, Sigurdardottir S. Relationship between physical and psychological functioning and health‐related quality of life in congenital Aniridia. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2024 Aug;102(5):590-9.
Burton MJ, Ramke J, Marques AP, Bourne RR, Congdon N, Jones I, Tong BA, Arunga S, Bachani D, Bascaran C, Bastawrous A. The lancet global health commission on global eye health: vision beyond 2020. The Lancet Global Health. 2021 Apr 1;9(4):e489-551.
Pang Y, Sparschu L, Nylin E. Validation of an automated‐ETDRS near and intermediate visual acuity measurement. Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 2020 Sep 1;103(5):663-7.
Oikonomidis K, Almpanidou S, Talimtzi P, Kakavouti-Doudou A, Metaxas SM, Karampatakis V. Compliance With the Use of Low-Vision Aids in a Greek Population: An Explorative Study. Cureus. 2023 Jul 31;15(7).
Massof RW. Patient-reported measures of the effects of vision impairments and low vision rehabilitation on functioning in daily life. Annual review of vision science. 2022 Sep 15;8:217-38.
Su NH, Moxon NR, Wang A, French DD. Associations of social determinants of health and self-reported visual difficulty: analysis of the 2016 National Health Interview Survey. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 2020 Mar 3;27(2):93-7.
Rizzo JR, Beheshti M, Hudson TE, Mongkolwat P, Riewpaiboon W, Seiple W, Ogedegbe OG, Vedanthan R. The global crisis of visual impairment: an emerging global health priority requiring urgent action. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2023 Apr 3;18(3):240-5.
Naz S, Ibrahim N, Sharif S, Farasat T, Javed A, Sajjad E, Iqbal A. Incidence of Blindness and Nystagmus in Children from Lahore Affected with Congenital Cataract. Life Sciences. 2020 Jan;4(1).
Taipale J, Mikhailova A, Ojamo M, Nättinen J, Väätäinen S, Gissler M, Koskinen S, Rissanen H, Sainio P, Uusitalo H. Low vision status and declining vision decrease health-related quality of life: results from a nationwide 11-year follow-up study. Quality of Life Research. 2019 Dec;28(12):3225-36.
Havstam Johansson L, Škiljić D, Falk Erhag H, Ahlner F, Pernheim C, Rydberg Sterner T, Wetterberg H, Skoog I, Zetterberg M. Vision‐related quality of life and visual function in a 70‐year‐old Swedish population. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2020 Aug;98(5):521-9.
Glatz M, Riedl R, Glatz W, Schneider M, Wedrich A, Bolz M, Strauss RW. Blindness and visual impairment in Central Europe. Plos one. 2022 Jan 13;17(1):e0261897.
Rim TH, Kawasaki R, Tham YC, Kang SW, Ruamviboonsuk P, Bikbov MM, Miyake M, Hao J, Fletcher A, Sasaki M, Nangia V. Prevalence and pattern of geographic atrophy in Asia: the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium. Ophthalmology. 2020 Oct 1;127(10):1371-81.
Pilling RF, Allen L, Bowman R, Ravenscroft J, Saunders KJ, Williams C. Clinical assessment, investigation, diagnosis and initial management of cerebral visual impairment: a consensus practice guide. Eye. 2023 Jul;37(10):1958-65.
Ekemiri KK, Botchway EN, Ezinne NE, Sirju N, Persad T, Masemola HC, Chidarikire S, Ekemiri CC, Osuagwu UL. Comparative analysis of health-and vision-related quality of life measures among Trinidadians with low vision and normal vision—A cross-sectional matched sample study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023 Jul 24;20(14):6436.
Man RE, Gan AT, Fenwick EK, Thakur S, Gupta P, Teo ZL, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Lamoureux EL. Using uniocular visual acuity substantially underestimates the impact of visual impairment on quality of life compared with binocular visual acuity. Ophthalmology. 2020 Sep 1;127(9):1145-51.
Verbeek ER, Drewes YM, Gussekloo J. Visual impairment as a predictor for deterioration in functioning: the Leiden 85-plus Study. BMC Geriatrics. 2022 May 6;22(1):397.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sher Akbar Khan, Amir Naseem, Suhail Amir, Muhammad Khan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Readers may Share-copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and Adapt-remix, transform, and build upon the material. The readers must give appropriate credit to the source of the material and indicate if changes were made to the material. Readers may not use the material for commercial purpose. The readers may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
. 
