Visual Impairment of Korean Population: Prevalence and Impact on Mental Health

We identified the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of people with visual impairment (VI), and determined the relationship between VI and mental health in the Korean population.

This is a cross-sectional study using the database of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 through 2012. A total of 28,392 participants at 19 years of age or older with data of visual acuity and mental health questionnaire was included. Prevalence of VI and its association with sociodemographic factors were analyzed. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine the association of VI with mental health.

Estimated prevalence of VI was 0.43% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.52%) in adults aged 19 years and over. After adjusting for sex, the VI group was significantly older (P < 0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, the VI group showed increased odds ratios (ORs) for diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001), lower education (P < 0.001), no occupation (P = 0.046), restricted daily activity (P < 0.001), and being single (P = 0.002) compared to the control group. After adjusting for covariates, VI was not associated with any of mental health parameters (OR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.53-1.47] for depressive symptom; 1.38 [0.91-2.09] for suicidal ideation; 1.26 [0.82-1.94] for perceived stress). However, restricted daily activity was the strongest risk factor for poor mental health (OR, 2.49 [2.22-2.79] for depressive symptom; 2.77 [2.51-3.06] for suicidal ideation; 2.30 [2.09-2.54] for perceived stress).

Visually impaired people showed significantly unfavorable sociodemographic status. Although VI was not directly associated with mental health, restricted daily activity and poor sociodemographic factors found in visually impaired people increased risk for poor mental health.