Association of Visual Impairment with Psychological Distress in Older Adults: A Survey of 105,092 Older People in Taiwan

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the association between visual impairment (VI) and psychological distress (PD) among older adults in Taiwan. The present cohort study included participants aged >65 years who participated in a physical examination program. Participants were divided into two groups on the basis of whether they had PD at baseline. The association between PD and VI with other variables was compared using the two-sample t-test for continuous variables and chi-squared test for discrete variables. Cox regression analyses were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR). Cumulative incidence of PD was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences among participants with different severities of VI were analyzed using the two-tailed log-rank test. Subgroup analyses were performed to calculate the HR for PD among participants with different severities of VI. The PD group showed a significantly high percentage of VI. In addition, participants with VI showed a significantly higher HR and seven-year cumulative incidence rate of PD than those without VI. VI was independently and significantly associated with a higher incidence of PD among older Asian people. Therefore, identifying and treating correctible VI is important to prevent PD and improve the overall quality of life.