Visual impairment and economic well-being among older adults in India

Résumé fourni par la source

Visual impairment (VI) is a rapidly escalating global public health issue, particularly among the ageing population, and it affects individuals, families, and national economies through loss of income, reduced productivity, and increased poverty risk. However, there is no evidence available to understand multidimensional aspects of economic wellbeing and VI. The present study examines the relationship between economic well-being and VI among Indian older adults. The present study used first wave of Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, conducted in 2017–2018. The main outcome variable was index of economic well-being (IEWB), and it was assessed using a composite index constructed from index of monthly per capita consumption expenditure, index of per capita monthly income and index of wealth. Severity of VI was used as the key explanatory variable, and other socio-demographic and economic variables were used as control variables. The study findings show that the prevalence of moderate VI among older adults with distance, near and any VI was 23.7%, 46.3% and 50.3%, respectively. Around 2.5% of older adults had severe distance VI, and 6.5% of older adults had severe near VI. Further, a consistent decline in economic well-being with increasing VI severity was found, and those who experienced severe VI or blindness had the lowest scores across all economic indices. The insight gained from the current research highlights the enhanced accessibility of quality education and the improvement of disability support programmes to nurture economic resilience among visually impaired older people.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.