Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Chinese Glaucoma Patients

Quality of life scores in Chinese glaucoma patients were mainly associated with disease severity, measured by patients' visual acuity, stages of visual field defects, and intraocular pressure.

To examine the effect of demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors on glaucoma patient-reported quality of life (QoL) scores.

In this cross-sectional study, 1057 consecutive glaucoma patients aged 18 and above were recruited from 34 hospitals across China between November 1, 2022 and December 18, 2022. A smartphone-based survey collected demographic/socioeconomic data and incorporated the Chinese version of the Glaucoma Quality of Life-17 (Glau-QoL-17) questionnaire for patient-reported QoL evaluation. Visual functions (best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], the higher intraocular pressure [IOP] of both eyes, and the stages of visual field impairment) were assessed by ophthalmic professionals. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to identify predictors for both overall and subscale QoL scores. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) analysis was used to screen the most influential factors for the overall QoL score.

The median (interquartile range) QoL score was 57 (49-65). BCVA and the stage of visual field defects of the better eye, the higher IOP reading between both eyes, the employment status, and the city tier of residence were independent predictors for QoL after adjusting for age, sex, education level, and comorbidities. LASSO analysis additionally identified primary open angle glaucoma and combined surgical and pharmacological treatment as one of the most influential factors affecting QoL. Clinical factors explained the largest variation in the multiple linear regression model.

QoL of glaucoma patients is primarily determined by clinical indices. Unemployment is also an important correlate of low QoL among glaucoma patients.