ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Masoumi   M. (1 )
Falahati   F. (1)
Ghassemi-Broumand   M. (*)
Babaei   M. (1 )
Hajizadeh   K. (2)
Mousavi   B. (1)






(*) Ophthalmology Department, Medical Sciences Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(1 ) Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC) , Tehran, Iran
(2) Sociology Department, Literature & Humanities Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC), No. 17, Farokh Street, Moghadas Ardabili Street, Tehran, Iran
Phone: +98 (21) 22416699
Fax: +98 (21) 22418180
mghbr31@yahoo.com

Article History

Received:  July  27, 2016
Accepted:  September 14, 2016
ePublished:  March 10, 2017

BRIEF TEXT


War as a destructive phenomenon leads to physical and psychological damages to survivors that one of them is an absence of vision [1, 2].

Blindness is, also, one of the factors that reduces the quality of life in different aspects [3]. … [4-10].

This study aimed to assess the ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living.

This study is descriptive-sectional.

This study was conducted in 2015 in the veterans with a blind eye from 15 provinces across the country.

1371 veterans with a blind eye were selected as the samples for this study through census method.

The instruments used in this study is a form for collecting demographic data and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. The demographic information included age, age of injury, gender, marital status, level of education, employment status, percentage of injury and the accompanied injuries. The eight dimensions measured in IADL questionnaire includes the use of the phone, buying food and clothes, prepare meals, do household chores, bathing, ironing, movement and displacement, accountability in medicine and financial affairs. This tool was first developed in 1969 to evaluate the ability of seniors to perform daily activities and their autonomy [11]. At present, the reliability and validity of the Persian version of this questionnaire has been confirmed in internal studies [12]. As a result, the total score of IADL questionnaire varied between zero and 16 where zero represents 100% dependence and 16 represents 100% of independence in the instrumental activities of daily living. According to studies, the level of independence in IADL based on the score of the questionnaire is being considered as completely independent (the total scores between 14 and 16), the semi-dependent or semi-independent (the total scores between 8 and 13), and totally independent (the total scores between 0 and 7) [13-16]. Data was analyzed using SPSS 23 software and descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Pearson correlation coefficient.

The majority of the patients were male and married. The mean age of the people was 46.0±7.1 years (in the range of 17 to 88 years) and nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of the veterans were in the age range of 41 to 50. The mean age of injury was 21.1±5.7 years. About half (49.4%) of a blind-eye veterans had the level of education less than diploma. About two-third (63.3%) were unemployed or retired and they did not have any job. Considering the type of injury, there was no less than 25% injury. 1058 (77.2%) of the studied group had other injuries besides blindness of one eye and 313(22.8%) had the blindness of one eye (Table 1). Veterans who were older had less independence in instrumental activities of their life (r=-0.14; p<0.001). Dependence on instrumental activities of daily living was higher among people who had higher percentage of disability (r=-0.14; p<0.001). In addition, there was a reverse relation between the age of injury and IADL in injured veterans with a blind eye (r=-0.11; p<0.001). In other words, people who were older at the time of injury had more dependence in their instrumental daily activities. Also, a significant relationship was observed between IADL and the existence of the accompanied injuries (p=0.003), and among accompanied injuries, there was a significant relation with chemical injuries and IADL scores (p=0.04). Education and employment of the veterans were, also, had meaningful relation with the variable of dependence (p<0.001). The mean score of IADL in a blind-eye veterans was 11.9±3.8 (from zero to 16). Only 3 persons achieved the score of zero in the all dimensions; while, 339 (24.7%) of the participants were able to do all the activities lonely. In terms of IADL, the affairs in which the veterans had the most dependence were washing and ironing the clothes (61.1%), doing the household chores (58.9%), and preparing food (49.3%) respectively, and the least dependence was related to the ability of using telephone (17.4%), and movement (24.6%) respectively (Table 2).

… [17-25]. Several studies in different groups of veterans, also, have shown the significant decrease of their life quality in comparison to the normal population. In fact, one of the factors that reduces the life quality of the veterans is the decrease of their ability in performing daily life activity. On the other hand, the reduction in life quality is associated with the reduction of life satisfaction and the incidence of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety [27, 28]. … [29-31].

It is recommended to include continuous appropriate exercises in daily activities of veterans to relatively prevent physical and psychological problems of old age.

This study was limited to the veterans with a blind eye. Non-participation of part of a sample size of a blind eye veterans in Iran was another limitation of this study.

Blindness of one eye does not significantly reduce the ability of a person in doing instrumental activities. However, about one-third of the one-eye blind veterans are dependent to others for doing their daily instrumental activities that the existence of other accompanied injuries and the aging increase this dependence.

The authors sincerely appreciate the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in the participating provinces and The Veterans Engineering and Medical Sciences Research Center.

Non-declared

The present study was approved by the ethics committee of the Veterans Engineering and Medical Sciences Research Center. Participation was voluntary for all the veterans and they did not pay any cost. Personal information of the participants are kept confidentially.

The Veterans Engineering and Medical Sciences Research Center has funded this study.

TABLES and CHARTS

Show attach file


CITIATION LINKS

[1]Murray CJL, King G, Lopez AD, Tomijima N, Krug EG. Armed conflict as a public health problem. BMJ. 2002;324:346-9.
[2]Levy BS, Sidel VW. War & public health in the twenty-first century. New Engl J Public Policy. 2003;19(1):167-78.
[3]Amini R, Haghani H, Masoumi M, Nakhaei M. Quality of life in blind war survivors. Iran J War Public Health. 2009;1(2):24-35. [Persian]
[4]Ghafourifard M, Payami Bousari M, Heydari Some'e A. A survey on various dimensions of adjustment status among warfare Veterans with one eye blindness. Iran J War Public Health. 2014;6(2):65-71. [Persian]
[5]Nejati V, Amini R, Zabihzadeh A. Correlation of quality of life with executive function of brain in blind veterans. Iran J War Public Health. 2012;4(1):40-45. [Persian]
[6]Minouee J. Investigation of the quality of life and daily activities of middle-aged and old veterans with sight loss in one eye in 2011 [Dissertation.] Tehran: University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences; 2013. [Persian]
[7]Gobbens RJJ, van Assen MA. The prediction of ADL and IADL disability using six physical indicators of frailty: A longitudinal study in the Netherlands. Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res. 2014;2014:1-10.
[8]Soroush MR, Ganjparvar Z, Masoumi M, Mousavi B. Instrumental Activity of Daily living in war related bilateral lower limb amputation. Iran J War Public Health. 2012;4(4):1-7. [Persian]
[9]Amini R. Health Needs Assessment methodology report in blind veterans in 2007. Iran J War Public Health. 2008;1(1):46-57. [Persian]
[10]Amini R, Sahaf R, Kaldi AR, Haghani H, Davatgaran K, Masoumi M, et al. Activities of daily living independence in Iranian blind war survivors: A cross sectional study, 2008. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2013;13(3):741-50.
[11]Lawton MP, Brody EM. Assessment of older people: Self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontol. 1969;9(3):179-86.
[12]Soltanmohamadi Y, Hassani Mehraban A, Taghizade Gh, Akbarfahimi M, Alahyari F. Validity and reliability of the Persian version of Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale among patients with Dementia. Salmand. 2014;9(2):160-7. [Persian]
[13]Weiner DK, Duncan PW, Chandler J, Studenski SA. Functional reach: A marker of physical frailty. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1992;40(3):203-7.
[14]Payahoo L, Khaje-bishak Y, Pourghasem B, Asghari Jafarabadi M, Kabir-alav MB. The survey of the relationship between quality of life of elderly with depression and physical activity in Tabriz, Iran. Rehab Med. 2013;2(2):39-46. [Persian]
[15]Taheri Tanjani P, Azadbakht M. Psychometric properties of the persian version of the activities of daily living scale and instrumental activities of daily living scale in elderly. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci. 2016;25(132):103-12. [Persian]
[16]Moeini B, Barati M, Jalilian F. Factors associated with the functional independence level in older adults. Med J Hormozgan Univ. 2012;15(4):318-26. [Persian]
[17]Amini R, Kaldi A R, Sahaf R, Haghani H, Hayatbakhsh R, Davatgaran K, et al. Independency level in elderly blind war survivors: A cross sectional study. Salmand. 2012;7(1):67-74. [Persian]
[18]Tavafian SS, Aghamolaei T, Moeini B. Functional independence level of physical activities in elderly people: A populationbased study. Payesh. 2014;13(4):449-56. [Persian]
[19]Ghasemi Boroumand M, Ghasemi H, Nazari MR, Rahmati S. Health care Guideline for War survivors with unilateral blindness and their health care providers. Tehran: Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC); 2009. [Persian]
[20]Nejati V. Comparing attentional demand of daily living in blind and matched sighted. Iran J War Public Health. 2010;2(2):11-5. [Persian]
[21]Khezri A, Arab Ameri E, Hemayattalab R, Ebrahimi. The effect of sports and physical activity on elderly reaction time and response time. Salmand. 2014;9(2):106-13. [Persian]
[22]Montazeri N, Sorbi MH, Ahmadi SM, Yazdanpoor S. Comparison of depression, anxiety and stress between athletic and non-athletic elderly in 2013. Sci J Rehab Med. 2014;3(2):15-22. [Persian]
[23]Hekmatipour N, Hojjati H, Sharifnia SH, Akhondzade G, Nikjou A, Mirabolhasani M. Impact of routine exercises on elderly’s depression rate. Health Educ Health Promot. 2013;1(3):23-32. [Persian]
[24]Rezai N, Mousavi B, Masoumi M, Soroush M, Baghbani M. Pattern of activity of daily living in war related lower extremities amputation: A result of a national project from Iran. Iran J War Public Health. 2009;1(2):73-81. [Persian]
[25]Amini R, Haghani H, Masoomi M, Assari S. Activity of daily living and its associated factors in war survivors with no visual acuity. J Res Med Sci. 2010;15(4):202-7.
[26]Jafari F, Guitynavard F, Soroush MR, Muosavi B. Quality of life in chemical war victims with sever pulmonary damage. Iran J War Public Health. 2012;4(1):46-52. [Persian]
[27]Farahani M N, Mohammadkhani S, Jokar F. The relationship between life satisfaction with quality of life and subjecting wellbeing in Tehran teachears. J Res Psychol Health. 2009;3(1):1-5. [Persian]
[28]Khani H, Bidarmaghzi M, Mozafar Jalali M, Yaghobi M, Khezri M, Heidari Sh. Quality of life and mental health of amputee veterans in Mazandaran province. Shirvan:The First National Conference On Applied Research In Public Health And Sustainable Development; 2012. [Persian]
[29]Durkheim E. The division of labor in society. Halls WD, translator. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan; 2013.
[30]Chalabi M. Sociology of order: Theoretical analysis of social order. Tehran: Ney Publication; 2005. p. 267. [Persian]
[31]Vaziri S, Lotfi Kashani F. Identity styles and psychological distress. Andisheh va Raftar. 2013;7(26):77-86. [Persian]