Impact of Visual Impairment and Correction on Vision-Related Quality of Life: Comparing People with Different Levels of Visual Acuity in Indonesia

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Purpose: This study assessed the extent to which visual impairment impacts on vision-related quality of life in Indonesia, by comparing four groups of people: those with 1) normal vision, 2) corrected visual impairment, 3) uncorrected visual impairment, and 4) blindness.

Method: Purposive sampling was used. There were 162 respondents, between 21 and 86 years of age. Participants with normal vision and blindness were community-dwellers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Those with corrected and uncorrected visual impairment were recruited from an eye clinic. This cross-sectional study used NEI VFQ-25 to assess vision-related quality of life. The total scores and 11 NEI VFQ-25 subscales scores of four respondent groups were analysed using ANOVA, followed by post-hoc analyses to reveal between group differences.

Results: There was a significant difference in the NEI VFQ-25 total scores among the four respondent groups. Respondents with normal vision had the highest score and those with blindness had the lowest. There were also significant differences among the four groups for the 11 subscales. Post-hoc analyses revealed no significant difference between respondents with normal vision and corrected visual impairment in the total and 9 NEI VFQ-25 subscales. Respondents with uncorrected visual impairment and blindness had significantly lower vision-related quality of life compared to those with normal vision or corrected visual impairment in the total and 5 NEI VFQ-25 subscales, indicating that visual impairment decreases vision-related quality of life.

Conclusion: Visual impairment has a detrimental impact on a person's vision-related quality of life. The negative impact of visual impairment can be minimised by correction. Failure to correct visual impairment leads to significantly lower vision-related quality of life.

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Authors

The Maria Meiwati Widagdo
Maria Widagdo is a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She has extensive experience on disability issues, particularly in community base rehabilitation, covering health, education, livelihood, social and empowerment aspects. Her research interests are issues related to people with disability and the elderly.
Yunita Rappun

Yunita Rappun is a Doctor who graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She currently works at a Community Health Centre in Tarakan, North Borneo, Indonesia. Yunita serves people living in a remote area of Indonesia with very limited facilities and challenging geography. She is passionate about public health issues and comprehensive management of disability.

Aprilia Vetricia Gandrung

Aprilia Vetricia Gandrung is a Medical Doctor from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She is currently working as a general practitioner at Kuala Kurun District Hospital, Central Borneo, Indonesia. She is passionate about her work in a remote area with limited facilities. Vetricia is interested in public health issues, especially of people living in remote places. She also has an interest in ophthalmology, especially disabilities related to visual impairment.

Edy Wibowo

Edy Wibowo is an Ophthalmologist working at Bethesda Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is a consultant for corneal disorders, cataract and refractive surgeries. Edy has extensive experience in community eye care, providing free cataract surgeries for marginalised people. Edy is also passionate about disaster response and disaster management issues. His research interests are corneal and refractive correction surgeries.

How to Cite

The Maria Meiwati Widagdo, Yunita Rappun, Aprilia Vetricia Gandrung, Edy Wibowo (2021-02-23). Impact of Visual Impairment and Correction on Vision-Related Quality of Life: Comparing People with Different Levels of Visual Acuity in Indonesia. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 31 No. 4 (2020): Winter, 26-39. https://doi.org/10.47985/dcidj.411

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