Table 2

Association between age, gender, social status, NEI-VFQ sub-scale scores and visual impairment

Exposure
N (%)
Number with VA<6/12 (%)
OR VA<6/12 (95% CI)
Number with VA<6/18 (%)
OR VA<6/18 (95% CI)

Age (years)





75 to <80
310 (17)
56 (18)
1.00
17 (5)
1.00
80 to 85
881 (49)
226 (26)
1.31 (0.93, 1.85)
83 (9)
1.68 (0.97, 2.93)
>85
594 (33)
303 (51)
4.44 (3.14, 6.29)
143 (24)
5.22 (3.05, 8.95)
Total
1785
585 (33)

243 (14)

P-value †


<0.001

<0.001
Gender





Male
650 (36)
174 (27)
1.00
61 (8)
1.00
Female
1135 (64)
411 (36)
1.31 (1.05, 1.65)
182 (16)
1.57 (1.13, 2.16)
Total
1785
585 (33)

243 (14)

P-value


0.019

0.006
Carstairs deprivation index





High (privileged)
388 (22)
149 (38)
1.00
61 (16)
1.00
Higher middle
386 (22)
140 (36)
0.92 (0.65, 1.31)
59 (15)
1.05 (0.67, 1.64)
Lower middle
389 (22)
124 (32)
0.68 (0.47, 1.00)
57 (15)
0.92 (0.56, 1.50)
Low (less privileged)
403 (23)
115 (29)
0.69 (0.46, 1.04)
40 (10)
0.72 (0.41, 1.26)
Missing
219 (12)
57 (26)
0.56 (0.37, 0.85)
26 (12)
0.79 (0.46, 1.36)
Total
1785
585 (33)

243 (14)

P-value †


0.002

0.167
General health





No problems
142 (8)
41 (29)
1.00
16 (11)
1.00
Few
493 (28)
129 (26)
0.78 (0.50, 1.22)
44 (9)
0.68 (0.36, 1.29)
Moderate health
614 (34)
198 (32)
1.03 (0.67, 1.59)
91 (15)
1.16 (0.64, 2.11)
Poor health
534 (30)
216 (40)
1.43 (0.93, 2.22)
91 (17)
1.25 (0.68, 2.28)
Total
1783
584 (33)

242 (14)

P-value †


<0.001

0.018
General vision





No problems
1206 (68)
244 (20)
1.00
50 (4)
1.00
Problems
577 (32)
339 (59)
5.75 (4.53, 7.31)
192 (33)
11.0 (7.72, 15.5)
Total
1783
583 (33)

242 (14)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Ocular pain





No problems
982 (55)
316 (32)
1.00
120 (12)
1.00
Problems
801 (45)
267 (33)
1.04 (0.83, 1.29)
122 (15)
1.22 (0.91, 1.64)
Total
1783
583 (33)

242 (14)

P-value


0.751

0.176
Near activities





No problems
838 (47)
156 (19)
1.00
27 (3)
1.00
Problems
940 (53)
422 (45)
3.48 (2.75, 4.40)
213 (23)
8.35 (5.44, 12.8)
Total
1778
540 (31)

240 (14)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Distance activities





No problems
839 (50)
185 (22)
1.00
40 (5)
1.00
Problems
856 (51)
339 (40)
2.11 (1.67, 2.66)
178 (21)
4.91 (3.37, 7.14)
Total
1695 ‡
524 (31)

218 (13)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Social function





No problems
1420 (80)
357 (28)
1.00
95 (7)
1.00
Problems
355 (20)
219 (62)
4.71 (3.60, 6.16)
145 (41)
9.38 (6.81, 12.9)
Total
1775
576 (32)

240 (14)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Mental health





No problems
954 (54)
218 (23)
1.00
56 (6)
1.00
Problems
829 (46)
365 (44)
2.54 (2.03, 3.17)
186 (22)
4.46 (3.20, 6.23)
Total
1783
583 (33)

242 (14)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Role difficulties





No problems
1058 (60)
246 (23)
1.00
52 (5)
1.00
Problems
721 (41)
33 (46)
2.79 (2.23, 3.49)
188 (26)
6.77 (4.81, 9.55)
Total
1779
579 (33)

240 (13)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Dependency





No problems
1381 (78)
335 (24)
1.00
91 (7)
1.00
Problems
400 (22)
246 (64)
4.80 (3.70, 6.24)
150 (38)
7.45 (5.44, 10.2)
Total
1781
581 (33)

241 (14)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Driving *





No problems
299 (55)
29 (10)
1.00
3 (1)
1.00
Problems
246 (45)
79 (32)
4.63 (2.81, 7.62)
38 (15)
24.5 (6.57, 91.1)
Total
545
108 (20)

41 (8)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Colour vision





No problems
1578 (90)
445 (28)
1.00
146 (9)
1.00
Problems
178 (10)
121 (68)
5.39 (3.74, 7.78)
89 (38)
9.86 (6.77, 14.3)
Total
1756
566 (32)

235 (13)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Peripheral vision





No problems
1300 (75)
326 (25)
1.00
94 (7)
1.00
Problems
440 (25)
227 (52)
3.02 (2.37, 3.87)
95 (24)
5.03 (3.68, 6.87)
Total
1740
553 (32)

189 (11)

P-value


<0.001

<0.001
Total VFQ score





No problems
442 (25)
75 (17)
1.00
12 (3)
1.00
Few problems
447 (26)
103 (23)
1.45 (1.02, 2.07)
21 (5)
1.72 (0.82, 3.58)
Moderate vision
456 (26)
136 (30)
2.01 (1.43, 2.83)
41 (9)
3.37 (1.72, 6.60)
Poor vision
438 (25)
269 (61)
6.93 (4.93, 9.75)
168 (38)
19.5 (10.5, 36.5)
Total
1783
583 (33)

242 (14)

P-value †


<0.001

<0.001

Odds ratios adjusted for age, gender, and general practice throughout (except for age which is adjusted for gender and practice, and gender which is adjusted for age and practice)

† Exposure variable treated as a score. ‡ Slightly lower number of respondents to this domain score, as participants responded that they had stopped going out to see films, plays, or sport events as they were not interested in doing this or due to non eyesight related reasons

*Odds ratios for VA<6/18 based on 463 as 4 practices did not have drivers with VA<6/18

Owen et al. BMC Ophthalmology 2006 6:24   doi:10.1186/1471-2415-6-24