Evaluation of visual function and vision-related quality of life in patients with senile cataract.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between quality of life and decreased visual acuity in elders with senile cataract. Methods: A transversal and quantitative study involving 53 elderly patients with senile cataracts and candidates for cataract surgery in a private ophthalmology clinic in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. For sociodemographic investigation, a questionnaire elaborated by the authors was used. Research on visual-related quality of life was done through the National Eye Institute - Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ 25) questionnaire. For statistical analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficient and hypothesis testing were applied, in which the test statistic follows a Student's t distribution, with 5% significance level (p < 0,05). Results: The majority of the interviewed patients' ages were comprehended between 70 and 79 years old (n.29 / 54,7%) and were female (n.30 / 56,6%). The correlation between the mean score of the "Visual Capacity" domain and of the "Quality of Life" domain had Pearson's correlation coefficient equal to 0,664, statistically significant in Student's t-test (p < 0,001). Therefore, there are evidences that the quality of life and the visual function are correlated so that the better the visual capacity, the better the quality of life. Conclusion: The correlation between ocular health and functional capacity of the elderly can be obtained by the application the National Eye Institute - Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ 25), generating data that reveals the necessity of guaranteed access to ocular health by the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]