Body mass index and waist-to-height ratio among schoolchildren with visual impairment: A cross-sectional study

Obesity and risk of age-related eye diseases: a systematic review of prospective population-based studies

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a public health challenge worldwide. The relationship between obesity and age-related eye diseases including cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) have remained elusive.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of three electronic databases for longitudinal population-based studies that described associations between measures of obesity including body mass index (BMI), waist-circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and age-related eye diseases.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 1731 articles, of which 14, 10, 16 and 8 articles met our eligibility criteria for cataract, glaucoma, AMD and DR, respectively. BMI-defined obesity was positively associated with incident cataract, incident AMD and incident DR in Western populations, but in Asian populations associations for incident AMD were not significant and associations for incident DR were inverse. WC-defined obesity was associated with incident glaucoma in non-Western populations. WHR-defined obesity but not BMI-defined obesity was associated with the incidence or progression of AMD in two Western studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we found strong evidence supporting associations between obesity and age-related eye diseases. Further research on the association of abdominal obesity and effect of weight loss and physical activity on age-related eye diseases is warranted to support clinical and public health recommendations.

Economic and educational factors played roles in the development of regional vision impairment in Shandong province, China

We analyze regional factors and spatial distribution of children's vision impairment in Shandong province, to explore the spatial changes brought by time and their influencing factors, so as to provide scientific basis for prevention of childhood vision impairment. This study covers five complete cross-sectional surveys from 2013 to 2017, involving about 29.24 million students. Spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis methods were used to analyze spatial features. The associated factors were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. The vision impairment prevalence showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing from 2013 to 2017, with slight changes. In terms of regional spatial differences, Weihai and Yantai have the highest VI rates in all years, and there was a large-scale spatial aggregation phenomenon. The southern low-value clusters, however, showed a trend of weakening from year to year. Further exploration revealed that economic factors and number of full-time teachers were verified as risk factors for regional vision impairment levels. The slight rebound of the prevalence of vision impairment and the high rate in the eastern and northern regions of Shandong province need more attention. It is suggested that relevant departments should focus on the influence of regional economic and educational factors when formulating relevant strategies.

An analysis of the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and vision-related quality of life in a visually impaired adult population

Previous research has shown that people with visual impairment are more likely to be malnourished and have reported to have difficulty shopping for, preparing, and eating food. They are also reported to have a poor quality of life. The present study aims to investigate the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and Vision-Related Quality of Life (VR-QoL) in a sample of adults with visual impairment who are living in the United Kingdom.

A 37-question survey evaluating the nutritional status and the activities of daily living, cooking and shopping, was disseminated to adults with visual impairment who were 18 years and older. VR-QoL was also assessed using the validated, Questionnaire of Vision-Related Quality of Life Measure (VCM1).

Participants reported that being visually impaired made it difficult to shop for, prepare, and cook meals, and this correlated significantly with level of visual impairment. The VCM1 score of ⩾2.1 was reported by 74% of people with visual impairment revealing VR-QoL is more than a little of a concern for most of the participants. The mean VCM1 score for females was 2.9 ± 0.98 and 2.5 ± 1.1 for males. Level of visual impairment was not found to influence the VCM1 scores. This indicates even those with visual impairment below the level required for sight impairment registration report a reduced VR-QoL.

It is the responsibility and duty of society to support people with visual impairment or other disabilities rather than blaming them for not ‘integrating’. Among other things, this can be done by incorporating norms into the marketing. These norms might help to raise and increase the awareness of suppliers to the needs of consumers with visual impairment. Furthermore, such norms may contribute to our ongoing efforts for a more inclusive and accessible environment.

The impact of visual impairment on nutritional status: A systematic review

The aim of this review was to evaluate the literature that has investigated the impact of visual impairment on nutritional status. We identified relevant articles through a multi-staged systematic approach. Fourteen articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The sample size of the studies ranged from 9 to 761 participants. It was found that visual impairment significantly affects nutritional status. The studies reported that visually impaired people have an abnormal body mass index (BMI); a higher prevalence of obesity and malnutrition was reported. Visually impaired people find it difficult to shop for, eat, and prepare meals. Most studies had a small sample size, and some studies did not include a study control group for comparison. The limitations of these studies suggest that the findings are not conclusive enough to hold true for only those who are visually impaired. Further studies with a larger sample size are required with the aim of developing interventions.

Self-reported physical activity using International Physical Activity Questionnaire in adolescents and young adults with visual impairment

BACKGROUND

Young people with visual impairment (VI) face many environmental barriers that influence physical activity.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of the study were to assess the level of physical activity (PA) in students with VI, with regard to their age, gender, level of VI, body mass index and abdominal obesity (AO), and to identify the percentage of study participants who did not meet the international recommendations for PA.

METHODS

Anthropometric measurements were taken to assess the body mass index and waist-to-height ratio. The PA level was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire- Long Form. A sample of 122 students with VI aged 15.1-22.7 years were included in the study.

RESULTS

The mean total PA was 8514.5 ± 7201.0 Metabolic Equivalents min/week. Students with normal weight and excess weight had much greater total PA scores than those who were underweight (p < 0.05). Students with abdominal obesity had slightly lower total PA than those without AO. Blind students were engaged less in PA in most of the domains than partially-sighted students. Overall, 39.3% of participants did not meet the recommendation of 75 min/week of vigorous PA, and 23.8% did not meet the recommendation of almost 150 min/week of moderate PA. In total, 32.8% of participants did not meet the international recommendations of 420 min/week moderate or vigorous PA.

CONCLUSION

To improve the PA level of students with VI, health promotion initiatives focused on promoting PA during their school days and free time are required, based on innovative methods adjusted to their needs.