Impact of cataract on the quality of life of rural patients in India

• Main Authors: Seema Dutt Bandhu, Y G Vabale, P P Sambarey, Amol B Walke, Swati Raje
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology and Research
• Subjects: Expectations; quality of life; visual function
• Online Access: http://www.jcor.in/article.asp?issn=2320-3897;year=2016;volume=4;issue=2;spage=75;epage=81;aulast=Bandhu

Aim: To evaluate the impact of cataract on the quality of life of rural patients in India. Materials and Methods: Cataract patients visiting a rural hospital in Maharashtra, India were surveyed preoperatively and 3 months after undergoing cataract surgery for their quality of life. Indian visual function (VF) questionnaire 33 was used for this purpose. Expectation and satisfaction from cataract surgery were evaluated separately using subjective questions. The outcomes were compared by gender, age-group and literacy and subjective visual gain (post- and pre-operative vision). Results: Of the 150 patients who participated in the study, the visual acuity of 108 (72%) was <20/200 before surgery. The data show that scores for the general, psychosocial, and VFs were 56.7 ± 18.79, 12.82 ± 4.7, and 20.24 ± 4.17, respectively, for all three before surgery. One hundred and thirty-five (90%) participants expected to be economically productive after cataract surgery. Literate patients and patients <60 years old had higher expectations for improvement of VF from surgery. Conclusions: It is concluded that though the quality of life was decreased across all the domains, the study population contributed economically toward their households before cataract surgery and expected to be able to do so after surgery. Illiterate and older patients had a lower expectation and higher satisfaction from surgery.