Impact of dysphagia on quality of life in individuals with visual impairment and development of the visual impairment version of the Swallowing activity participation profile (SAPP)

Abstract

Dysphagia is a common problem in the geriatric population. The impact of dysphagia on quality of life (QoL) has been studied extensively in the past decades. Yet, the impact of dysphagia on QoL of individuals with visual impairment has not yet been discussed. Swallowing-related QoL questionnaires for visually impaired population are also lacking. In this study, a visual impairment version of SAPP was developed and the impact of dysphagia on QoL of individuals with visual impairment was studied. A total of 63 participants participated in the study. 30 participants were non-dysphagic and 33 participants were dysphagic, with severity ranged from mild to moderate. The results revealed that the visual impairment version of the SAPP exhibited basic clinical validity. It was also found that the visually-impaired dysphaic individuals had reduced QoL in general. Their personal, social and emotional domains were particularly adversely affected by dysphagia. Therefore, apart from managing the swallowing impairment, clinicians should also pay careful attention to the client’s well-being in everyday life.