History of falling and visual ability among independently living elderly in Sweden

Figures & data

Table 1 Definitions of different levels of VA according to visual standards by the International Council of Ophthalmology¹⁸ using ETDRS and Snellen equivalent charts

ICD classification	Monocular VA; ETDRS chart	Binocular VA; Snellen equivalent acuity chart
Normal vision	≥0.8	≥0.8
Mild vision loss	0.79 to ≥0.32	0.63 to ≥0.32
Moderate vision loss	0.31 to ≥0.125	0.25 to ≥0.125
Severe vision loss	0.120 to ≥0.05	0.10 to ≥0.05
Profound vision loss	0.04 to ≥0.02	0.04 to ≥0.02
Blindness	≤0.019	≤0.016

Note: Data from International Council of Ophthalmology.¹⁸

Abbreviations: ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; VA, visual acuity.

Figure 1 Proportion of subjects, F, and NF, with non-normal visual test results.

Notes: VA was more often slightly reduced among the NF than F. Severe or profound VA loss was seen in a few subjects among the NF only. Reduced CS in the better eye was slightly more common among F than NF; the opposite was true when testing CS binocularly. Doubtful or negative stereopsis was just slightly more common among the F than NF.
Abbreviations: CS, contrast sensitivity; F, fallers; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; NF, non-fallers; VA, visual acuity.

Table 2 Visual function tests as presumed risk for falls vs no falls

Visual function tests	P-value	OR	95% CI
			Lower	Upper
VA, better eye	0.013	2.26	1.19	4.29
VA, binocular	0.37	1.58	0.59	4.26
CS, better eye	0.90	1.04	0.58	1.88
CS, binocular	0.23	0.60	0.26	1.37
Stereoscopic vision	0.25	0.71	0.40	1.27
Perimetric MD, better eye 5%a	0.37	0.78	0.44	1.36
Perimetric MD, better eye 0.5%b	0.21	0.66	0.35	1.26
Monocular VF defects, lower quadrants in one or both eyes	0.28	0.70	0.37	1.34
Binocular VF defects, lower quadrants	0.20	1.67	0.76	3.67
IVF defects, median cutoff	0.67	1.13	0.65	1.98

Notes: The ORs represent the odds of falls opposed to normal visual function.

a Cutoff for MD at the P<5% level for outside normal limits.

b Cutoff for MD at the P<0.5% level for outside normal limits.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CS, contrast sensitivity; IVF, integrated visual field; MD, mean deviation; OR, odds ratio; VA, visual acuity; VF, visual field.

International Council of Ophthalmology [webpage on the Internet]Visual Standards Aspects and Ranges of Vision Loss with Emphasis on Population Surveys2002 Available from: http://www.icoph.org/downloads/visualstandardsreport.pdfAccessed March 2, 2016

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