Objective: The primary goal of this study was to determine the effect of visual impairment (VI) on the quality of life (QoL) in children aged 3-7 years. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving 138 parents or caregivers of children aged 3-7 years from Pediatric Ophthalmology and General Ophthalmology Clinics of a tertiary government hospital. The Filipino version of the Children’s Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ3plus), an instrument that measures the impact of visual impairment on the QoL of children aged 3-7 years and their families, was used. It has 6 subscales: general health, general vision, competence, personality, family impact, and treatment. T-test was used to compare the total index QoL score and subscale scores between children with VI (n=69) and the control group (n=69). The multivariate regression model based on the total index QoL score in children with VI was used to assess the effect of other demographic factors. Results: Children with VI had significantly lower total index QoL score (p=0.02), general vision (p=0.04), competence (p=0.00), and personality (p=0.02) subscale scores than the control group. The visual acuity of children with VI had a significant effect on the total index QoL score (p=0.04). Demographic factors like patient’s age and sex, and parental age, sex and educational attainment had no effect on total index QoL score. Conclusion Visual impairment has a negative effect on the quality of life of Filipino children aged 3-7 years as shown by the use of the CVFQ3plus.
Vision Disorders ; Quality of Life ; Vision, Low

Objectives: The primary goal of this study was to determine the relationship between diabetic peripheral neuropathy and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness among elderly Filipinos with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving 106 subjects aged 60 years or older with type 2 diabetes mellitus recruited from the General Medicine and Diabetes Clinics of a tertiary government hospital. The diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy was made by performing a 10-gram monofilament test. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was measured using the optic disc cube 200 x 200 protocol of the Cirrus® HD-OCT. T-test was used to compare RNFL thickness in those with and without peripheral neuropathy. The effects of age, sex, duration of diabetes, presence or absence of peripheral neuropathy, and retinopathy status on global and quadrantal RNFL thickness was assessed using multivariate analysis. Results: Compared to subjects without peripheral neuropathy, significant thinning of the superior (P=0.011), inferior (P=0.004), and global (P=0.008) RNFL thickness were observed in subjects with peripheral neuropathy. There were no significant differences in RNFL thickness in the temporal (P=0.211) and nasal (P=0.263) quadrants between the 2 groups. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that presence of peripheral neuropathy has a significant effect on their superior (P=0.036), inferior (P=0.010), and global (P=0.024) RNFL thickness. Other factors such as age, sex, duration of diabetes, and retinopathy had no effect on global and quadrantal RNFL thickness. Conclusion RNFL thinning in the superior, inferior, and global indices on optical coherence tomography has a significant correlation with diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Diabetes Mellitus

This study investigated the correlation of 8 domains of psychosocial factors with functional outcome one year after hip fracture surgery. A prospective cohort study of patients who had unilateral hip fracture surgery was included. A total of 89 subjects were interviewed between 3rd to 7th day after the hip surgery using the short length Multi-level Assessment Instrument and followed up after 1 year. The functional outcomes were measured through the Harris Hip Score. All of the psychosocial factors have little to no correlation on the functional recovery of the patient but the cognitive domain had a fair correlation in Harris Hip Score (r=0.46) and is significant (p-value<0.0001). The study did not find strong correlation between psychosocial factors and functional outcome one year after unilateral hip surgery. Although statistics have shown little effect on psychosocial factors to functional outcome, it may still be prudent to consider every aspect that may contribute to the whole wellbeing of our patients, which includes their psychosocial background.
Psychology