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Health‐related quality of life of children with vision impairment or blindness
Author(s) -
Boulton Mary,
Haines Linda,
Smyth Diane,
Fielder Alistair
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2006.tb01335.x
Subject(s) - quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , blindness , nystagmus , visual impairment , audiology , cognition , pediatrics , psychology , psychiatry , optometry , nursing
The aims of the study were to describe the functional ability, health status, and health‐related quality of life (HRQL) of young children with a vision impairment or blindness (VI/BL) and to examine the effect of different types of ophthalmic condition and the presence of other impairments or systemic disorders. A cross‐sectional community survey of children aged 3 to 8 years with VI/BL was conducted in four areas of England using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 system. Seventy‐nine children (47 males, 32 females; mean age 6y 2mo [SD 1y 6mo]) met the selection criteria: 43% had a visual pathway condition, 38% a condition of the eye, and 19% nystagmus alone; and 61% had additional impairments/disorders. Eighty per cent had functional limitations on at least two of the following attributes: vision, hearing, speech, cognition, ambulation, dexterity, emotion, and pain. Forty‐four per cent had functional limitations on four or more attributes. Children with nystagmus alone had significantly higher mean HRQL utility scores (0.80 [SD 0.26]) than children with a condition of the eye (0.45 [SD 0.33]), who, in turn, had higher scores than children with a visual pathway condition (0.05 [SD 0.33], p = 0.002). Children with an isolated VI/BL had significantly higher mean scores (0.73 [SD 0.21]) than those with additional impairments/disorders (0.09 [SD 0.34], p < 0.001). These findings underline the need for a broad assessment of each child with VI/BL and a multidisciplinary approach to care.