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Vision and visual disability in the daily life of a representative population sample aged 82 years
Author(s) -
Bergman Birgitta,
Sjöstrand Johan
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1992.tb02089.x
Subject(s) - visual impairment , ambulatory , medicine , population , sample (material) , hobby , low vision , audiology , gerontology , optometry , psychiatry , surgery , environmental health , art , visual arts , chemistry , chromatography
A representive population sample (n = 203) aged 82 years was studied to determine the prevalence of impaired vision and visual disability in a cohort previously investigated at the age of 70 years. Visual impairments and disabilities were generally most marked among the non‐ambulatory subjects. In the ambulatory group (n = 160) 54% had VA > 0.8 and 8% VA < 0.3. Near vision was also markedly better in this group. About 90% of the ambulatory cases could read J2 or better, read books and watch TV. Statistical analysis showed no sex difference with respect to visual ability for ambulatory subjects. Subjects with a wide range of distance VA were able to read J1 and J2, whereas only one ambulatory patient with J4 or worse had a distance VA above 0.3. To watch TV and manage most of the everyday activities a distance VA of 0.4–0.5 was required. To read newspapers and books a near vision of J2 was needed and for the telephone book J1 was needed. Improvements of near vision obtained by a change of own glasses were small. Hobby and household work proved less dependant on vision. The subjects showed a fairly realistic view of their visual capability, and distance VA was a valuable predictor of visual ability and disability. —