Visual impairment impact on the quality of life of the elderly population that uses the public health care system from the western countryside of Pernambuco State, Brazil

To evaluate the impact of visual impairment on the quality of life of the elderly population living in the western countryside of Pernambuco State, located in northeast of Brazil. Five hundred and eighty subjects over 59 years of age were interviewed using the Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ). All subjects underwent complete eye examination. The results of the quantitative parameters were expressed by mean ± SD. The results of categorical parameters were expressed by their frequencies. Mean age was of 70 ± 8.1 years. About 86% of the interviewed elderly were illiterate or had incomplete education. The mean complaints were low visual acuity (71.1%) and itching/burning (69.0%). The visual acuity was not normal in 37.4% of the elderly. About 75.0% of the subjects reported to have regular or bad health, and 77.0% reported to have regular or bad vision. The reported quality of life decreased according to the worsening of the visual acuity. Visual impairment had a negative impact on the quality of life of the elderly population from the western countryside of Pernambuco State.