Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (LL), FIN 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland,
Aging Clin Exp Res. 2013 Oct;25(5):545-52. doi: 10.1007/s40520-013-0120-z. Epub 2013 Sep 4.
Vision is an important prerequisite for balance control and mobility. The role of objectively measured visual functions has been previously studied but less is known about associations of functional vision, that refers to self-perceived vision-based ability to perform daily activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between functional vision and balance and mobility performance in a community-based sample of older adults.
This study is part of a Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly project (GeMS). Participants (576) aged 76-100 years (mean age 81 years, 70 % women) were interviewed using a seven-item functional vision questionnaire (VF-7). Balance and mobility were measured by the Berg balance scale (BBS), timed up and go (TUG), chair stand test, and maximal walking speed. In addition, self-reported fear of falling, depressive symptoms (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination) and physical activity (Grimby) were assessed. In the analysis, participants were classified into poor, moderate, or good functional vision groups.
The poor functional vision group (n = 95) had more comorbidities, depressed mood, cognition decline, fear of falling, and reduced physical activity compared to participants with moderate (n = 222) or good functional vision (n = 259). Participants with poor functional vision performed worse on all balance and mobility tests. After adjusting for gender, age, chronic conditions, and cognition, the linearity remained statistically significant between functional vision and BBS (p = 0.013), TUG (p = 0.010), and maximal walking speed (p = 0.008), but not between functional vision and chair stand (p = 0.069).
Poor functional vision is related to weaker balance and mobility performance in community-dwelling older adults. This highlights the importance of widespread assessment of health, including functional vision, to prevent balance impairment and maintain independent mobility among older population.
视觉是平衡控制和移动能力的重要前提。以前已经研究过客观测量的视觉功能的作用，但对于功能性视觉（指自我感知的基于视觉的完成日常活动的能力）的关联知之甚少。本研究的目的是调查功能视力与平衡和移动能力在社区老年人样本中的关系。
本研究是老年多学科综合策略（GeMS）良好老年人护理项目的一部分。参与者（576 人）年龄在 76-100 岁之间（平均年龄 81 岁，70%为女性），使用 7 项功能性视觉问卷（VF-7）进行访谈。平衡和移动能力通过 Berg 平衡量表（BBS）、计时起立行走测试（TUG）、椅子站立测试和最大步行速度进行测量。此外，还评估了跌倒恐惧、抑郁症状（15 项老年抑郁量表）、认知（简易精神状态检查）和身体活动（Grimby）。在分析中，参与者被分为视力差、视力中等或视力良好的组。
视力差组（n=95）与视力中等（n=222）或视力良好（n=259）组相比，合并症更多、情绪低落、认知能力下降、恐惧跌倒和身体活动减少。视力差的参与者在所有平衡和移动测试中的表现都更差。在调整性别、年龄、慢性疾病和认知后，功能性视力与 BBS（p=0.013）、TUG（p=0.010）和最大步行速度（p=0.008）之间的线性关系仍具有统计学意义，但与椅子站立测试（p=0.069）之间无线性关系。
在社区居住的老年人中，视力差与平衡和移动能力下降有关。这强调了广泛评估健康的重要性，包括功能性视力，以预防老年人平衡障碍和保持独立移动能力。
