To better understand visual disabilities via preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health.

The preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health records of 4,724 participants over the age of 40 who completed the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) were analyzed. The participants were divided into 3 groups for analysis: subjects without disabilities, subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities, and subjects with visual disabilities. The unadjusted mean and the adjusted mean for which socioeconomic factors were adjusted were calculated.

In the preventative health examination there were no differences between the 3 groups except for a statistically significant increase in the number of cholesterol check-ups in the visual disability group. In the health-related behavior analysis, lifetime smoking and routine physical activity were similar between the visual disability and no disability group, however, these factors were greater in the disability without visual disability group. The analysis of psychological health revealed that major depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts and psychological consultations were greater in the disability without visual disability and the visual disability groups compared to the participants without disability. However the overall number of psychological consultations was low.

There was no difference in the frequency of preventative health examinations between each group. However, there was an increase in the prevalence of psychological problems in subjects with visual disabilities compared to subjects without disabilities and subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities. Thus, ophthalmologists should consider psychological aspects when dealing with patients with visual disturbances.