Assessment of everyday functioning in visually impaired children from a developing country1

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Visual impairment is a significant concern in developing countries.
• Understanding functional capabilities is crucial for intervention strategies.
• The impact of different types of visual impairment (binocular vs. monocular) on daily functioning in children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare the functional capabilities and performance of children with binocular and monocular visual impairment.
• To evaluate the impact of visual impairment on self-care, mobility, and social function in a developing country context.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving visually impaired children (binocular and monocular) and non-visually disabled controls aged 4-12 years.
• Participants underwent ophthalmic examinations.
• Caregivers completed the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) to assess functional skills and caregiver assistance.

Main Results:

• Children with binocular visual impairment scored significantly lower in self-care, mobility, and social function compared to monocular and control groups.
• Caregiver assistance scores were also lower for binocularly impaired children across all functional domains.
• Children with monocular visual impairment demonstrated functional scores comparable to their non-visually disabled peers.

Conclusions:

• Binocular visual impairment presents considerable challenges to children's everyday functioning.
• Monocular visual impairment does not appear to impose significant functional limitations in children.
• These findings underscore the differential impact of visual impairment severity on pediatric functional outcomes.