Abstract:
The purpose of this descriptive research aimed to study the health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration and to study the relationships between factors, sex, age, visual acuity, social support, depression and activity of daily living of older persons with age-related macular degeneration. Subject consisted of 120 older persons with age-related macular degeneration at retina clinic in Mettapracharak (Wat Rai Khing) Hospital and Police General Hospital, and were selected by using multi-stage sampling technique. Research instruments were demographic questionaires, Thai Visual Function Questionnaire 28, social support, Thai Geriatic Depression Scale and Barthel ADL index which were tested for content validity and reliability. The reliability of Thai Visual Function Questionnaire 28, social support, Thai Geriatic Depression Scale and Barthel ADL index were .981 .912 .840 and .902 respectively. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearsons Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Major finding were as follows: 1. Visual acuity were significantly with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration, at level of .05 but sex were not correlated with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration. 2. Age was significantly negative correlated with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration, at medium level of .05 (r= -.476) and depression was significantly negative correlated with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration, at high level of .05 (r= -0.708). 3. Social support was significantly positive correlated with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration, at low level of .05 (r= 0.225) and activity of daily living was significantly positive correlated with health-related quality of life in older persons with age-related macular degeneration, at high level of .05 (r= 0.699).