Physical inactivity in relation to self-rated eyesight: cross-sectional analysis from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BACKGROUND: To assess the cross-sectional association between self-rated eyesight and physical activity behaviour in a large general population sample of older English adults. METHODS: Analyses of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants provided information on self-rated eyesight (categorised as: excellent/very good/good/fair–poor) and their own physical activity levels (categorised as: inactive/moderate only at least 1/week, vigorous at least 1/week). Associations between self-rated eyesight and physical activity levels were examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 6634 participants (mean age 65.0±9.2 years) were included in the analyses. In adjusted logistic regression models, those with fair–poor and good eyesight were significantly more likely to be inactive than those who reported excellent eyesight (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.58 to 2.72; OR 1.59, 1.27 to 1.99, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this sample of older English adults, those with self-rated fair–poor vision were over twice as likely to be physically inactive than those who reported having excellent vision. When consistent data have emerged, interventions to increase physical activity in those who have poor eyesight are needed.