Gender Issues in a Cataract Surgical Population in South India

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate patterns and characteristics of men and women who used different cataract surgery payment streams in a South Indian hospital.

Methods: We randomly sampled patients with age-related cataract aged 40 years and over from three routine cataract surgical service streams: walk-in paying, walk-in subsidized and free camp. Presenting visual acuity (VA) and cataract surgical details were obtained from routine hospital records. Demographic and socioeconomic factors were collected from patient interviews. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with use of different streams with walk-in paying as the reference group.

Results: There were 7076 eligible admissions (3742 women and 3334 men). Proportionately more women than men attended the walk-in subsidized (56%) or free camp sections (55%) compared to the walk-in paying stream (42%, odds ratio, OR, 1.40 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.25–1.57 and OR 1.33 95% CI 1.19–1.49, respectively). After adjustment for socioeconomic factors (illiteracy, not being in paid work), rural residence and poor presenting VA, OR for women compared to men for the walk-in subsided stream was 1.02, (95% CI 0.87–1.18) and for the free camp 0.94 (95% CI 0.80–1.11).

Conclusion: Our results indicate that women are underrepresented in the paying section, reflecting their poorer socioeconomic and educational statuses.

• Cataract surgery
• gender and blindness
• gender issues
• hospital-based population
• India

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors express their sincere gratitude to Prof Astrid Fletcher for the guidance provided in writing the manuscript. The authors also wish to thank Mr Jeyaram Ilayaraja and Mr Royes Joseph for their contributions in terms of data management and statistical analysis. In addition the authors are grateful to Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai for providing staff and logistical support as well as Seva Canada for their valuable support in carrying out this study.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

None of the authors have any proprietary interests or conflicts of interest related to this submission

This study was funded by Seva Canada, an international non-governmental organization working in the field of eye care, based in Canada.

This submission has not been published anywhere previously and it is not simultaneously being considered for any other publication.