An Epidemiological Study of Cataract Patients:Findings From a Hospital-based Study

Background: Cataract, which refers to a clouding of the crystalline lens of the eye, stands out as the first priority amongst the major causes of blindness. Cataract is one of the important causes of low vision in both developed and developing countries. Cataract occurs more frequently with advancing age. Knowledge regarding magnitude and socio demographic factors will be helpful for healthcare managers. Therefore, the present study was conducted among the patients in ophthalmology department of a tertiary health center to study the epidemiological profile and causes of cataract.

Method: A Hospital based Cross Sectional Study conducted from July 2017 to December 2017 in a tertiary health center in central India. Total 336 patients who availed services from ophthalmology department during study period were included in the study and relevant data was collected from them. Data analysis was done by percentages, proportions, and tests of significance (Chi-square test).

Results: A total of 181 patients were investigated in the study with gender distribution of 67.7 % male. Most of the patients were above 60 years. Left eye was more commonly involved in cataract. Marital status, educational status and occupation of the patients were found to be statistically significant

Conclusions: The present study concluded with the findings highlighting the huge burden of cataract in central India and the role of multiple factors in cataract genesis pointing towards a multi-factorial causation.