Modified Bahasa Malaysia version of VF-14 questionnaire: assessing the impact of glaucoma in rural area of Malaysia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the functional impairment of glaucoma patients, using a modified Bahasa Malaysia version of VF-14 questionnaire, and to correlate the score with the severity of the disease.

METHODS

One-to-one interview by trained interviewers was conducted on glaucoma patients seen in the eye clinic of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, using a modified validated Bahasa Malaysia version of VF-14 questionnaire. The severity of glaucoma was determined based on the better-eye Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study Scale (AGIS) score of visual field analysis on the latest most reliable visual field. The literacy rate, living situation, better-eye visual acuity and lens status were also documented.

RESULTS

A total of 110 glaucoma patients were recruited (54.5% primary open-angle glaucoma, 21.8% primary angle-closure glaucoma, 19.2% normotensive glaucoma and 4.5% pseudoexfoliative glaucoma) and majority with bilateral involvement. Based on the better-eye AGIS score, 41.5% were in advanced stage, 29.1% moderate and 29.1% mild. There was a significant association between VF-14 scoring with the better-eye AGIS score (r =-0. 579, P < 0.001), age (r = -0.313, P = 0.000) and better-eye visual acuity (r = -0.752, P = 0.000). Based on the multivariate analysis, there was a significant association of the questionnaire score and better-eye AGIS score (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The Bahasa Malaysia version of modified VF-14 questionnaire is a useful tool in quantifying quality of life among glaucoma patients in rural area with high illiteracy rate and provides moderate correlation with severity of the disease. Customization of quality of life questionnaire according to custom and culture of the community will provide better insight to the functional impairment of glaucoma patients.