Vision-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Arabic NEI VFQ-25

Background/Objectives: The impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in Saudi Arabia is rarely quantified. This study measured VRQoL in a convenience sample of adults with type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes in Riyadh and identified the factors associated with it. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 adults with self-reported T1DM (n = 131) or T2DM (n = 169), recruited at a university hospital and by snowball sampling, completed the Arabic 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) online; the primary outcome was the standard composite score. Diabetes types were compared with Holm-adjusted tests, and multivariable linear regression was checked with fractional logistic and median regression. Results: The composite was high (median 88.0, interquartile range 73.4–96.0); 19% reported diabetic retinopathy (DR), 24% cataract and 9% had never had an eye examination. T1DM participants scored higher on 7 of 12 subscales (r ≤ 0.20), but diabetes type was not associated with VRQoL after adjustment (β = 0.5 points). Self-reported DR (β = −15.8), age ≥55 years (β = −18.6) and cataract/glaucoma (β = −7.9) were independently associated with a lower composite in every sensitivity analysis; smaller associations with irregular glucose levels, never having been examined and female sex were model-dependent. Conclusions: Lower VRQoL was associated with self-reported ocular complications and older age rather than with diabetes type. The findings rest on self-reported data from a non-probability sample; prospective studies with clinically graded retinopathy and objective glycaemic measures are needed before routine VRQoL assessment can be recommended.