@article{ref1,
title="Associations between visual impairment, incident falls and fall frequency among older Asians: longitudinal findings from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study",
journal="British journal of ophthalmology",
year="2022",
author="Gupta, Preeti and Man, Ryan Eyn Kidd and Fenwick, Eva K. and Qian, Chaoxu and Sim, Ralene and Majithia, Shivani and Tham, Yih Chung and Sabanayagam, Charumathi and Wong, Tien Yin and Cheng, Ching-Yu and Lamoureux, Ecosse Luc",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Association between baseline visual impairment (VI) bilaterality and severity, and associated causes; and incident and frequent falls at 6 years in a multiethnic Asian population aged ≥60 years. <br><br>METHODS: It is a population-based prospective cohort study. Visual acuity was clinically measured at both visits. Self-reported incidence and frequency of falls were defined as having no fall at baseline but having one fall and ≥2 incident falls in the 12 months prior to the follow-up visit, respectively. <br><br>RESULTS: Of the 1972 older participants (mean age (SD): 67.37 (5.4) years), 253 (12.8%) and 69 (3.5%) reported at least one fall and ≥2 falls, respectively, at a 6-year follow-up. After multivariable adjustments, baseline bilateral VI, but not unilateral, was associated with higher odds of any incident falls (mild bilateral VI: OR=1.79, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.98; moderate-severe VI in one eye and mild VI in the other eye: OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.47). However, having any form of bilateral VI (OR ranging between 2.46 and 4.32; all p<0.05) and even unilateral mild VI (OR=2.34, 95% CI 1.09 to 5.03) significantly increased the odds of incident frequent falls, compared with bilateral normal vision. VI caused by correctable (OR=2.02, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.44) and uncorrectable (OR=3.09, 95% CI 1.08 to 8.80) eye conditions were both associated with greater odds of incident frequent falls, compared with no VI. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Baseline bilateral but not unilateral VI conferred nearly two-fold higher odds of incident fall. Importantly, even mild unilateral VI conferred a substantially greater likelihood of frequent falls from correctable and uncorrectable conditions.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0007-1161",
doi="10.1136/bjo-2021-320873",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjo-2021-320873"
}