Nutritional status of blind and visually impaired patients

Background: According to the data of the last processed census 5.7% of the Hungarian population lives with some kind of disability, physical, mental or sensory disability, that prevents the rest of her life in the usual, traditional way of life style. 14% of them have problems with vision (blind or visually impaired). The most frequent causes of blindness or visual impairment are age-related macula degeneration, diabetes, cataract and glaucoma. Many blind or visually impaired can live with disability well, however, old blind and visually impaired have diseases beside their disability, so they nutrition needs special attention.

Aims: To describe the body mass index (BMI) and body composition of adult blind and visually impaired people. To identify the factors that influence the participants' food experiences and eating patterns.

Methods: BMI calculation from measured body height and body weight, body composition determination with bioimpedance. Determining eating patterns and how they buy food by a questionnaire.

Subjects: 125 blind/visually impaired (40.0% male, average age 60.4±18.8 years; 60.0% female, average age 72.4±17.9 years).

Results: The average BMI value was 26.0±6.3 [kg/m2] in males, and 26.1±6.0 [kg/m2] in females. Significantly more male had BMI belong to the optimal category (20.0 < BMI <25.0) 36.0% vs. 30.7%; at the same time more males are extremely obese (4.0% vs. 0.0%). Significantly more female is at the risk of malnutrition (2.0% vs. 8.0%). Hardly one third (32.8%) of the participants had optimal BMI value. The body fat ratio is usually high also in people with optimal BMI.

Conclusion: The ratio of extremely obese males is higher than in people without visual impairment, in females the ratio of the risk at malnutrition is higher. Due to the permanent lack of necessary physical activity overweight is common in blind. The direct consequence of the higher fat mass and higher body weight is that the lean body mass is smaller in the examined blind people. Blind and visually impaired people have many difficulties in shopping food and prepare it. These difficulties affect they choice what to eat and also affect their BMI and body composition. Dietitians have an important role with disable people, so the blinds; dietitians may need special skills in the diet of blind people.