Patient-reported vision impairment in low luminance predicts multiple falls

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Visual impairment is a known fall risk factor.
• The impact of patient-reported visual difficulties in specific conditions on falls remains unassessed.
• This study investigates visual difficulties in low-contrast and low-luminance situations as fall predictors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if patient-reported visual difficulties in low-contrast and low-luminance conditions predict falls.
• To assess if these visual difficulties are associated with concerns about falling.
• To evaluate the predictive value of these difficulties beyond established fall risk factors.

Main Methods:

• 112 outpatients aged ≥60 years with varying visual impairment were assessed.
• The Vision Impairment in Low Luminance (VILL) questionnaire and socio-demographic data were collected at baseline.
• Prospective follow-up over 12 months recorded falls, with analysis using logistic regression, controlling for known fall risk factors.

Main Results:

• Higher VILL reading and mobility subscale scores were linked to fewer multiple falls (OR 0.559, p=0.027; OR 0.595, p=0.026).
• VILL scores significantly correlated with concerns about falling across multiple subscales (p ≤ 0.004).
• Patient-reported visual difficulties demonstrated predictive value for falls and fall concerns.

Conclusions:

• Patient-reported visual difficulties in low illumination and contrast predict future multiple falls.
• These visual difficulties offer additional predictive value over existing fall risk scores.
• Integrating assessments like the VILL questionnaire into fall risk evaluations is recommended.