YEREVAN, Armenia — The Garo Meghrigian Institute for Preventive Ophthalmology (Meghrigian Institute) at the Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR) of the Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) of the American University of Armenia (AUA), published a new article, titled “The impact of refractive error correction on health-related quality of life in nursing home residents in Armenia,” in the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation, a leading international peer-reviewed journal that aims to encourage a better understanding of disability and to promote rehabilitation science, practice, and policy aspects of the rehabilitation process. The journal provides an important platform for exchange of ideas and knowledge among global health practitioners and researchers. The study was authored by Aida Giloyan M.S., (MPH ’07); Diana Muradyan, Ph.D., M.D., (MPH ’20); Varduhi Petrosyan, Ph.D, M.S.; and Tsovinar Harutyunyan, Ph.D., (MPH ’99).
The study assesses the impact of refractive error correction on health-related quality of life among 249 nursing home residents through baseline and follow-up assessments. The baseline assessment was conducted in August 2021, followed by the distribution of spectacles in October 2021, and a follow-up assessment in January 2022. The spectacles were dispensed at no cost to those who were identified as having uncorrected or under-corrected refractive errors.
The mean age of participants was 72.6 years, ranging from 46 to 91. About half of the participants were women (50.8%). In total, 203 individuals out of 239 were provided with spectacles. About 75% of those who received spectacles, adhered to wearing them, while 24.6% did not. By the follow-up, the proportion of residents with normal vision improved from 52.8% to 64.9%, while the prevalence of mild to severe visual impairment decreased from 42.3% to 30.3%. At the follow-up, those who had corrected their vision reported significantly better physical and mental health component scores of health-related quality of life, particularly in physical functioning, emotional well-being, and pain, while those who had not corrected their vision reported no significant improvement in both physical and mental health component scores.
Access to comprehensive eye care services, including regular eye screenings, provision of spectacles, and interventions facilitating spectacle-wearing compliance can improve ophthalmic health and health-related quality of life in this population.
The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.