Comorbid visual and cognitive impairment: relationship with disability status and self-rated health among older Singaporeans.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and consequences of coexisting
vision and cognitive impairments in an Asian population. Data were collected from
4508 community-dwelling Singaporeans aged 60 years and older. Cognition was assessed
by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire whereas vision, disability, and
self-rated health (SRH) were determined by self-report. Vision impairment was present
in 902 (18.5%) participants and cognitive impairment in 835 (13.6%), with 232 (3.5%)
participants experiencing both impairments. Persons with the comorbidity experienced
higher odds of disability than persons with either single impairment. The association
of vision impairment with SRH was stronger among women (odds ratio [OR] = 6.79, 95%
confidence interval [CI] = 4.64-9.92) than among men (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.21-2.41).
Concurrent cognitive and vision impairment is prevalent in older Singaporeans and
is associated with high rates of disability. Gender differences in vision-dependent
roles may affect the patient-perceived impact of this comorbidity.
Type
Journal articleSubject
HumansVision Disorders
Prevalence
Cognition Disorders
Comorbidity
Sex Distribution
Aged
Middle Aged
Disabled Persons
Singapore
Female
Male
Diagnostic Self Evaluation
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22887Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1177/1010539512443698Publication Info
Whitson, Heather E; Malhotra, Rahul; Chan, Angelique; Matchar, David B; & Østbye,
Truls (2014). Comorbid visual and cognitive impairment: relationship with disability status and
self-rated health among older Singaporeans. Asia-Pacific journal of public health, 26(3). pp. 310-319. 10.1177/1010539512443698. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22887.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
David Bruce Matchar
Professor of Medicine
My research relates to clinical practice improvement - from the development of clinical
policies to their implementation in real world clinical settings. Most recently my
major content focus has been cerebrovascular disease. Other major clinical areas in
which I work include the range of disabling neurological conditions, cardiovascular
disease, and cancer prevention. Notable features of my work are: (1) reliance on
analytic strategies such as meta-analysis, simulation, decision analy
Heather Elizabeth Whitson
Professor of Medicine
Dr. Whitson's research is focused on improving care options and resilience for people
with multiple chronic conditions. In particular, she has interest and expertise related
to the link between age-related changes in the eye and brain (e.g., How does late-life
vision loss impact the aging brain or cognitive outcomes? Is Alzheimer's disease
associated with distinctive changes in the retina, and could such changes help diagnose
Alzheimer's disease early in its course?). Dr. Whits
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