1. Comparison of the Visual Function Index to the Snellen Visual Acuity Test in Predicting Older Adult Self-Restricted Driving
- Author
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Suleman S. Ahmed, Thomas A. Grotsky, Craig L. Anderson, John C. Fox, Bhakti Harishchandra Patel, Shahram Lotfipour, Federico E. Vaca, Bharath Chakravarthy, and Erin M Carr
- Subjects
Self-assessment ,Automobile Driving ,Self-Assessment ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Visual acuity ,genetic structures ,Visual Acuity ,Poison control ,Audiology ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Injury prevention ,Humans ,Medicine ,Simulation ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Vision Tests ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Snellen visual acuity ,eye diseases ,Test (assessment) ,Visual function ,Observational study ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Safety Research - Abstract
In this observational study, a modified version of the Visual Function Index (VF-14) and the Snellen Visual Acuity Test were compared in how well they correlated with self-restricted driving habits in older adults. The VF-14 was originally designed to assess vision in cataract patients; however, in this study, a modified version (mVF-14) was evaluated as a tool for predicting self-restricted driving in older drivers.During a 3-month period, 151 drivers over the age of 65 were screened at the local senior center. In addition to the Snellen Visual Acuity Test and mVF-14, each participant was given a questionnaire about their driving habits, previously used in self-restriction studies.Out of 151 total participants, 134 were included and 7 nondrivers and 10 subjects who did not complete all questionnaires were excluded. One hundred one participants exhibited normal visual acuity of 20/40 or better (75%), and 110 scored over 90 on the mVF-14 (82%). Spearman's rank sum correlation coefficient was used to analyze the data and showed significant negative correlation of the mVF-14 and Snellen with self-restricted driving. Individuals with normal vision (20/40 or better on the Snellen eye test) had both high and low mVF-14 scores.The study shows that poor vision, as indicated by the Snellen scale and low mVF-14 scores, correlates to self-imposed driving limitations. The mVF-14 showed further distinctions of self-restriction between individuals in the same Snellen Visual Acuity category. Therefore, using the mVF-14 in addition to the Snellen Visual Acuity Test can be helpful to further differentiate visual ability within older drivers who appear to have normal vision.
- Published
- 2010