The impact of monocular and binocular visual impairment on the quality of life of Brazilian children

• Published in: The British journal of visual impairment 2022-05, Vol.40 (2), p.463-471
• Main Authors: Venâncio, Tais Siqueira, de Araújo, Bruna Michele Freire, Negrão, João Vitor Ramos de Toledo, Andrade Freire, Lívia de, Kasahara, Niro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0264-6196; 1744-5809
• DOI: 10.1177/0264619621994882

The purpose of this case–control study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) in children with visual impairment from an urban area in Brazil. Participants included children with binocular and monocular visual impairment and normal controls aged between 4 and 15 years. All subjects underwent a basic ophthalmic exam and answered the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL). The score results were compared among the groups with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The sample included 45 children with visual disability (24 binocular and 21 monocular) and 30 age-matched controls. The groups did not differ in age and gender distribution. The child self-report score for the binocular visual impairment group was lower when compared to controls in all four core scales; as compared to monocular children, the binocular group scored lower in physical health and social functioning. The total score of binocular children (67.9 ± 25.2) was lower than that for monocular children (83.0 ± 13.3, p = .01) and controls (84.2 ± 13.6, p