In a startling reversal of popular assumptions new research commissioned by Thomas Pocklington Trust (1) shows that when people with sight loss suffer depression and low quality of life it is more to do with low incomes, ill health and lack of social participation, than it is to do with their loss of vision.
The study (2), conducted by researchers from the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences, investigated the factors that influence well-being among older people with visual impairment. It confirmed that there is a dramatic association between vision and poor quality of life but found that this is entirely explained by the health, economic and social inequalities experienced by people with sight loss.
“Visual impairment need not directly impact on a person’s well-being over the long-term,” said Professor James Nazroo, who led the research. “The study shows that if people have the same level of income and health they have the same quality of life whether or not they have visual impairment.”
Compared to older sighted people, older people with sight loss consistently scored lower on measures of health, social participation and economics. They were more likely:
– To have a range of additional physical health problems. Almost a third of those with poor vision reported poor health compared to only about 5% of those with good vision.
– To live in accommodation which is overcrowded, with physical problems such as damp, and where such things as vandalism and rubbish created feelings of not belonging or not feeling safe.
– To be poor in terms of wealth, renting rather than owning their accommodation and doing manual jobs.
– To have poorer quality relationships – not only with friends but also with their husbands, wives and children.
– To be less involved with social, civic and cultural activities such as voting, hobbies and leisure activities – all things known to improve health, job opportunities and feelings of belonging.
People with poor vision were three to five times more likely than those with good vision to suffer from low quality of life, poor psychological health and depression. But when the inequalities of poverty, ill health, social isolation and exclusion were accounted for in the analysis the impact of poor vision itself made almost no difference.
Said Professor Nazroo, “The research clearly shows that sight loss itself is not the major factor in a low sense of well-being. It is the differential distribution of wealth, health and social interactions that makes a difference.”
The study was based on data from The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (3). Most research to do with sight loss focuses only on people who are registered as visually impaired, but ELSA is a random study of a representative sample of the English population aged 50 and older.?� It includes both registered and non registered people and provided a unique opportunity for the research team to compare people with all levels of vision. This is the first time this has been done in such a robust way and it has answered some unresolved questions. For example, previous research suggested that social relationships may be unaffected by vision status, but the new study reveals that although people with poor sight have the same amount of social contact, the quality of their relationships is a great deal poorer.
“Our study shows that older people with sight loss suffer a clear pattern of disadvantage,” said Dr. Angela McCullagh, Research and Development Director, Thomas Pocklington Trust. “It is the inequalities in poverty, health and exclusion that need to be addressed in sight loss policy. The research shows that if they can be dealt with there is no reason why living a poorer quality of life should be an inevitable consequence of sight loss.”
Notes
1. Thomas Pocklington Trust is a charity which aims to improve the quality of life of people with sight loss. It is a leading provider of housing, care and support services for people with sight loss in the UK, and is a major research and development body.
2. Social inclusion, social circumstances and the quality of life of visually impaired older people, a Thomas Pocklington Trust Occasional Paper No.27. This research study by Professor James Nazroo and Dr. Anna Zimdars of the School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester is based on data from waves 1 and 2 of ELSA which were conducted over 2002-3 and 2004-5 respectively.
3. The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) was designed to collect data on health, disability, economics and social participation and networks from a representative sample of the English population. It provides unique coverage of biomedical, genetic, performance and psychosocial measures and covers those aged 50 and older living in private households.
Source:
Thomas Pocklington Trust