An Epidemiological Study of Cataract in Patients Attending Ophthalmology OPD at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Cataract is one of the most common ocular diseases and its incidence increases with age. The objectives of the study is to study the risk factors of cataract, proportion of cataract and to find the association between epidemiological factors and type of cataract in among patients attending ophthalmology OPD of tertiary care hospital.

Materials and methods: Hospital based observational cross-sectional study. Total of 400 (males -236 and females- 164) patients of diagnosed cases of cataract were studied. The data was collected using a self structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis are applied, Chi-square/ Fisher Exact test has been used.  SPSS version 23.0 and R environment ver.3.2.2 were used for analysis.

Results:  400 patients belonged 4 - 80 years of age group. Majority were 41-70 yrs (82 %). 67.35 belonged to modified B.G. Prasad socio economic class 3 & 4. Locality wise 347 patients were rural areas, 53 patients (13.3%) from urban area. Mixed type of cataract was most common variety (38.3%), nuclear (26.8), posterior cub capsular variety (25.3 %) and posterior polar variety (9.8 %).

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 15.5 %, hypertensive patients was 10.3 % and alcoholic patients was 9.5 % among study subjects. Majority (295) had ultra violet rays’ exposure mainly in form of sunlight.

Association of Age, gender, religion, education, occupation and family history with type of cataracts were studied and gender association was significant statistically and others were non-significant statistically. Association of socio-economic status, locality, housing, overcrowding and fuel were studied and fuel (Kerosene oil, Firewood and LPG) association was significant statistically and others were non-significant statistically.

Conclusions: Diabetes, Hypertension, Exposure to Ultraviolet Rays, Female gender, Kerosene oil and Firewood among fuels are risk factors of cataract. Mixed type of cataract is most common followed by nuclear type and by posterior sub-capsular type and posterior polar variety was minimal among patients attending OPD.

Kerosene oil use is associated with increased association of nuclear type. Both ultra violet rays’ exposure and alcoholism are associated with mixed type cataract. Further studies on factors like housing, overcrowding, exposure to ultra violet rays with larger samples are required for policy decisions.