Citation

Yuki K, Tanabe S, Kouyama K, Fukagawa K, Uchino M, Shimoyama M, Ozeki N, Shiba D, Ozawa Y, Abe T, Tsubota K. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013; 54(12): 7739-7745.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 1608582, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)

DOI

10.1167/iovs.13-12079

PMID

24150761

Abstract

[Purpose] To determine if glaucomatous visual field defect severity is associated with fear of falling. [Methods] This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 387 consecutive subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) were enrolled in this study along with 293 ocular disease-free control subjects, who were screened at the same institutions. We defined mild POAG as mean deviation (MD) of -6 dB or better, moderate POAG as MD of -6 to -12 dB, and severe POAG as MD of -12 dB or worse in the better eye. All participants were requested to answer a questionnaire on fear of falling. Associations between POAG severity and the prevalence of fear of falling were evaluated with the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Multivariable factors including age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the prevalence of fear of falling and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated with logistic regression models. [Results] The prevalence of fear of falling was 35/293 (11.9%) in the control group, 38/313 (12.1%) in the mild POAG group, 12/48 (25.0%) in the moderate POAG group, and 6/26 (23.1%) in the severe POAG group, and the trend was statistically significant (P=0.028 Cochran-Armitage trend test). The adjusted ORs for prevalence in the mild, moderate, and severe POAG groups compared with that in the control group were 1.44 (95% CI: 0.83 to 2.51), 2.33 (95% CI: 1.00 to 5.44) and 4.06 (95% CI: 1.39 to 11.90), respectively. [Conclusions] Among patients with POAG, the severity of visual field defects is associated with fear of falling.

Language: en