Hospital Admissions in Older People with Visual Impairment in Britain
Author Information
Author(s): Jennifer R Evans, Liam Smeeth, Astrid E Fletcher
Primary Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hypothesis
What is the risk of hospital admission associated with visual impairment in older people living in the community in Britain?
Conclusion
Visual impairment is likely to contribute to higher rates of hospital admissions due to increased co-morbidity and reduced functional ability.
Supporting Evidence
- Visually impaired older people had 238.7 admissions per 1000 person-years.
- The adjusted rate ratio for hospital admission in visually impaired individuals was 1.32.
- Adjusting for a wide range of factors eliminated the association, resulting in a rate ratio of 1.06.
Takeaway
Older people who have trouble seeing are more likely to go to the hospital, but this is often because they have other health problems too.
Methodology
A prospective study of hospital admissions in a population-based sample of community-dwelling people aged 75 years and above.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to confounding factors related to visual impairment and health status.
Limitations
The study cannot definitively determine the cause of reduced functional ability in individuals.
Participant Demographics
Participants were community-dwelling individuals aged 75 years and older, with a mix of visual acuity levels.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.19 to 1.47
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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