Health-Related Quality of Life of Adolescents with Asymptomatic Convergence Insufficiency in China

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adolescents with asymptomatic convergence insufficiency (CI) in China and to identify the impact factors associated with the HRQoL of those patients.

METHODS: Adolescents aged 7-17 years with asymptomatic CI were recruited from outpatients in optometric center of Tianjin Eye Hospital, China. The severity of CI symptoms was assessed using the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS), and the HRQoL was evaluated using the Child Health Utility instrument (CHU-9D). Demographic characteristics were also collected. Clinical data including spherical equivalent, near point of convergence, and difference between exophoria at far and at near were retrieved from medical records. Subgroup analyses were conducted to determine whether there were significant differences in HRQoL between subgroups with different demographic characteristics. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model was performed to examine the association of demographic and clinical indicators with HRQoL.

RESULTS: 106 patients (53 male [50%], mean [SD] age 11.3 [2.5] years) were included. The mean (SD) health utility value was 0.916 (0.119). The mean (SD) score of CISS was 7.1 (6.3). In subgroup analyses, no significant differences in HRQoL were found between subgroups with different demographic characteristics, including gender, age, sitting position, degree of myopia, and type of glasses. OLS result after demographic adjustment indicated that CISS scores, and uncertain sitting position compared to normal sitting position were significantly influential on HRQoL, with a coefficient of -0.0110 (p < 0.001) and -0.0613 (p = 0.041), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic CI affects the HRQoL of adolescents in China. Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in HRQoL between subgroups with different demographic characteristics. OLS result indicated that CISS scores and sitting position were both associated with HRQoL in adolescents with asymptomatic CI in China.