55 percent of women more likely to have vision impairment in Telangana

This is largely due to delayed or limited access to primary and secondary eye care facilities for women

Hyderabad: Due to various social and economical conditions, 55 per cent of women in Telangana are more likely to have Vision Impairment (VI) than men.

This is largely due to delayed or limited access to primary and secondary eye care facilities for women, a recent study on Vision Impairment (VI) and access to eye care in southern parts of India, by researchers from city-based LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), said.

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Published in Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (February, 2024), the research included analysis of electronic medical records of nearly 7 lakh patients from four States – Telangana, AP, Karnataka and Odisha.

Women have limited access to eye care, primarily because of cultural and socio-economic factors, leading to such disparities. Their travel is restricted, financial freedoms limited, and they lack social support to seek eye care. Women in low and middle-income countries like India, especially in rural areas, are one of the most underserved groups when it comes to eye care access, the LVPEI researchers said.

“In our study, when we did a subgroup analysis and only patients with total vision VI were considered, it turned out that only 42.5 per cent of women visited a tertiary care or a Centre of Excellence eye care facility. Only 51 per cent of women visited a secondary eye care facility,” the study said.

In terms of gender, there was a higher representation of men at all levels. Eye care studies worldwide have shown that women do not optimally use healthcare services when compared to men. However, when we are closer to the community, we expect women to utilize our services better, researchers said.

In their study, the LVPEI researchers quoted multiple India specific studies that outlined the reason why women are more prone to vision impairment and are less likely to visit eye care health care facility.

Lower levels of literacy and economic empowerment compared to men, lack of felt need, and cultural prejudices are some of the factors that contribute to poor health-seeking behaviors in women. This is despite the fact that women are at a higher risk than men for VI and blindness for various reasons.

“An interesting finding of this study is that the percentage of women was higher than men at secondary centres. Though the reasons are not fully understood, the primary care and community-cantered activities in the village area may have contributed to this trend,” the researchers said.

• Studies indicate 55 per cent of women are more likely than men to have vision impairment

• Only 40 to 42 per cent of women have access to tertiary care and high-end eye care facilities

• Women, however, are like to visit a eye care facility if it is nearby to their homes

• Only 44.5 per cent of women visit rural vision care centre in TS, AP, Odisha and Karnataka

• Socio economic reasons for more women with vision impairment and less access

• Restricted freedom, lack of financial freedom, lack of social support to seek eye care