Swain Thomas A, McGwin Gerald, Rhodes Lindsay A, Girkin Christopher A, Owsley Cynthia
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 Jan 15;12:1498413. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1498413. eCollection 2025.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are safety-net primary health care clinics in the US serving medically underserved areas and populations. We administered the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire - 9 (VFQ-9), a vision-targeted, health-related quality of life questionnaire, to patients in 3 FQHCs in rural Alabama at risk for glaucoma. We examined demographic factors and self-reported eye conditions associated with VFQ-9 scores.
The VFQ-9 (score range 0-100) was administered to patients at-risk for glaucoma including African Americans or Hispanics ≥40 years, white persons ≥50 years, persons with diabetes ≥18 years, ≥18 years with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect, and/or ≥ 18 years with a family history of glaucoma. Demographic variables were collected -- age, gender, race/ethnicity, employment, marital status, health insurance, education, and driving status. Patients reported the presence of eye conditions including glaucoma and many other eye conditions. Stepwise linear regression modeled which variables accounted for the greatest variance of the VFQ-9 score.
Composite VFQ-9 scores averaged 82.4. The best fitting model for VFQ-9 scores included being a driver, insurance type/status, self-reported glaucoma or glaucoma suspect, blurry vision, and double vision.
Patients at-risk for glaucoma seeking care at FQHCs in rural Alabama have moderate impairment in quality of life as assessed by the VFQ-9. Factors negatively influencing scores are self-reported glaucoma or glaucoma suspect, blurry vision, double vision, not being a driver, and having no health insurance. The VFQ-9 is a good candidate as a vision-targeted quality of life outcome for eye health interventions at rural FQHCs in those with glaucoma.
联邦合格健康中心（FQHCs）是美国的安全网初级医疗保健诊所，为医疗服务不足的地区和人群提供服务。我们对阿拉巴马州农村地区3家FQHCs中患有青光眼风险的患者进行了国立眼科研究所视觉功能问卷-9（VFQ-9）的调查，这是一份针对视力的、与健康相关的生活质量问卷。我们研究了与VFQ-9评分相关的人口统计学因素和自我报告的眼部状况。
对患有青光眼风险的患者进行VFQ-9（评分范围0-100）调查，这些患者包括年龄≥40岁的非裔美国人或西班牙裔、年龄≥50岁的白人、年龄≥18岁的糖尿病患者、年龄≥18岁的青光眼患者或疑似青光眼患者，以及/或者年龄≥18岁且有青光眼家族史的人。收集人口统计学变量——年龄、性别、种族/族裔、就业情况、婚姻状况、健康保险、教育程度和驾驶状况。患者报告了包括青光眼和许多其他眼部状况在内的眼部疾病的存在情况。逐步线性回归模型分析了哪些变量对VFQ-9评分的方差影响最大。
VFQ-9综合评分平均为82.4。VFQ-9评分的最佳拟合模型包括是否为驾驶员、保险类型/状况、自我报告的青光眼或疑似青光眼、视力模糊和复视。
在阿拉巴马州农村地区FQHCs寻求治疗的青光眼风险患者，通过VFQ-9评估，其生活质量有中度受损。对评分有负面影响的因素包括自我报告的青光眼或疑似青光眼、视力模糊、复视、非驾驶员以及没有健康保险。VFQ-9是农村FQHCs中青光眼患者眼部健康干预措施中一个很好的针对视力的生活质量评估指标。
