Visual impairment and quality of life: gender differences in the elderly in Cuenca, Spain.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of visual impairment (VI) in a population sample of older adults of the province of Cuenca, Spain and to evaluate the impact of VI on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in this population group.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of the cohort of all persons over the age of 64 years from an urban area and rural nucleus of the province of Cuenca, Spain. Sociodemographic data were obtained and the VF-14 and SF-12 questionnaires were administered in an interview.