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. 2025 Jun 4;25(1):405.
doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06074-6.

Association between near functional visual acuity and physical function in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study : Keio university global research Institute baseline survey

Tomoki Manabe  1   2 , Yuko Oguma  3   4 , Kento Tabira  1   2 , Miki Sugimoto  5 , Kazuno Negishi  6 , Kaori Yagasaki  5
Affiliations

Association between near functional visual acuity and physical function in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study : Keio university global research Institute baseline survey

Tomoki Manabe et al. BMC Geriatr. .

Abstract

Background: As the Japanese population continues to age, functional decline with aging will inevitably become more pronounced. Vision loss and decline in lifestyle and motor functions are the main causes of functional decline. To date, a few studies have examined the relationship between visual and overall physical function. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively investigate the relationship between loss of visual acuity and the decline of physical functionality.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on the data of 86 community-dwelling older adults (average age ± standard deviation, 75.7 ± 5.5 years; 34 men) who participated in the October 2020–May 2022 baseline survey. Visual function was assessed based on the measurement of binocular near functional visual acuity (NFVA) using the Smart Vision Check application. Physical function tests were performed by measuring grip strength, 30-second chair stand (CS-30), Timed Up and Go (TUG), with eyes open, one-leg standing balance (OLSB), and two-step test. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine the association between NFVA and physical function, and partial regression coefficient (β) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated.

Results: After adjusting for all covariates, NFVA was significantly associated with grip strength (β: 3.54, 95%CI: 0.39, 6.70). Meanwhile, no association was noted between NFVA and CS-30 (β: -0.35, 95%CI: -2.68, 1.97), TUG (β: -0.23, 95%CI: -0.65, 0.19), OLSB (β: 6.13, 95%CI: -5.09, 17.35), and two-step test (β: 0.01, 95%CI: -0.05, 0.08).

Conclusions: The study showed an association between quantitatively assessed visual and physical functions in community-dwelling older adults living in Japan. Thus, the findings indicate that maintaining and enhancing grip strength and visual function in older adults may be an important factor in leading a healthy and fulfilling life.

Trial registration: Registration number, UMIN000041970.

Keywords: Near functional visual acuity; Older adults; Physical function; Visual acuity measurement application; Visual function.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Keio University School of Medicine (No. 20200165). All procedures of the study were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. We obtained written and verbal informed consent from all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow chart showing the study participant selection process, including the exclusion and inclusion criteria. Abbreviations: KGRI, Keio University Global Research Institute; CS-30, 30-second chair stand; TUG, Timed Up and Go test; OLSB, with eyes open, one-leg standing balance
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Display of the Smart Vision Check test. (A) Photo of near functional visual acuity measurement using the Smart Vision Check (SVC) application. (B) The iPhone screen during measurement. Participants tapped an icon indicating the direction of the Landolt ring that automatically appears on the iPhone screen within 2 s. (C) A representative screen displaying the measurement results. The green line denotes the decimal near visual acuity (NVA) with habitual correction that corresponds to the initial visual acuity. The purple line shows the timewise changes in NVA with habitual correction during testing. The pink line denotes mean NVA over 60 s, defined as near functional visual acuity (NFVA). The mean NVA value was calculated after converting the decimal visual acuity to logarithm and then converting that value back to decimal visual acuity. The purple open circles show the correct responses. In this study, NFVA was used to evaluate visual function
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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