Background: Previous research has shown that people with visual impairment are more likely to be malnourished and have reported to have difficulty shopping for, preparing and eating food. They are also reported to have a poor quality of life. The present study aims to investigate the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and Vision-Related Quality Of Life (VR-QoL) in a sample of adults with visual impairment who are living in the UK. Method: A 37 question survey evaluating the nutritional status and the activities of daily living; cooking and shopping was disseminated to adults with visual impairment who were 18 years and older. VR-QoL was also assessed using the validated, Questionnaire of Vision-Related Quality Of Life Measure (VCM1). Results: Participants reported that being visually impaired made it difficult to shop for, prepare, and cook meals and this correlated significantly with level of visual impairment. The VCM1 score of ≥2.1 was reported by 74% of people with visual impairment revealing vision related quality of life is more than a little of a concern for most of the participants. The mean VCM1 score for females was 2.9±0.98 and 2.5±1.1 for males. Level of visual impairment was not found to influence the VCM1 scores. This indicates even those with visual impairment below the level required for sight impairment registration, report a reduced VR-QoL. Conclusion: It is the responsibility and duty of society to support people with visual impairment or other disabilities rather than blaming them for not 'integrating'. Among other things this can be done by incorporating norms into the marketing. These norms might help to raise and increase the awareness of suppliers to the needs of consumers with visual impairment. Furthermore, such norms may contribute to our ongoing efforts for a more inclusive and accessible environment.

The aim of this review was to evaluate the literature that has investigated the impact of visual impairment on nutritional status. We identified relevant articles through a multi-staged systematic approach. Fourteen articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The sample size of the studies ranged from 9 to 761 participants. It was found that visual impairment significantly affects nutritional status. The studies reported that visually impaired people have an abnormal body mass index (BMI); a higher prevalence of obesity and malnutrition was reported. Visually impaired people find it difficult to shop for, eat, and prepare meals. Most studies had a small sample size, and some studies did not include a study control group for comparison. The limitations of these studies suggest that the findings are not conclusive enough to hold true for only those who are visually impaired. Further studies with a larger sample size are required with the aim of developing interventions.

Globally, a high prevalence of obesity and undernutrition has been reported in people with visual impairment (VI) who have reported multi-factorial obstacles that prevent them from achieving a healthy diet, such as having restricted shopping and cooking abilities. The present study is the first to investigate the relationship between VI and dietary consumption using a representative sample size, standardised methods to categorise VI and a detailed analysis of dietary consumption. Ninety-six participants with VI and an age-matched control group of fifty participants were recruited from across the UK. All participants were aged 50 years or over. The participants completed a 24-h food recall for a period of 3 d. The participants also answered questions about their abilities to shop for and cook food as well as their knowledge of healthy eating. The participants with VI in this sample consumed significantly fewer energy content and other nutrients than is recommended for their age group and when compared with an age-matched control group. The participants with VI mainly made food choices irrespective of nutritional value. The results of the present study highlight for the first time that a large proportion of older adults with VI in the UK are undernourished. These results suggest local and government-led initiatives should be implemented to support the diets of older adults in the UK, and these initiatives could include healthy eating workshops, café clubs or skills training and rehabilitation.