Fifty-five percent of women in telangana are more likely than males to suffer vision impairment (VI) as a result of several social and economic factors. According to a recent study on Vision Impairment (VI) and access to eye care in southern areas of India, conducted by researchers from the city-based LV prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), this is mostly because women have delayed or restricted access to basic and secondary eye care facilities.
 
The study, which was published in the indian Journal of Ophthalmology in february 2024, involved the examination of approximately seven lakh patients' computerized medical data from telangana, AP, karnataka, and Odisha.
 
These discrepancies in access to eye care are mostly caused by cultural and socioeconomic reasons that are exclusive to women. They have limited financial options, restricted travel, and little social support to seek eye treatment. According to the LVPEI researchers, women are among the most underprivileged groups when it comes to access to eye care in low- and middle-income nations like India, particularly in rural regions.
 
"In our study, only 42.5% of women attended a tertiary care or Centre of Excellence eye care institution when we performed a subgroup analysis and only individuals with complete vision VI were taken into consideration. According to the survey, just 51% of women went to a secondary eye care institution.
 
Men were more prevalent than women across all gender categories. Global research on eye care have revealed that, in comparison to males, women do not utilise healthcare services as effectively. However, study found that women are more likely to use our services when we are closer to the community.
 
The LVPEI researchers included many studies, conducted specifically in India, in their analysis to explain why women are less likely to visit eye care facilities and are more likely to experience visual impairment.
 
Some of the variables that lead to poor health-seeking behaviours in women include cultural biases, a lack of felt need, lower levels of literacy and economic empowerment compared to males. This is true even though women are more likely than males to develop VI and blindness for a variety of causes.
 
The study's intriguing conclusion is that there were more women than males in secondary centres. The primary care and community-centered activities in the village region may have contributed to this tendency, the researchers suggested, though the causes are yet unclear.
 
• Research shows that women are five times as likely than males to experience visual impairment.
 
• Only 40–42 percent of women have access to upscale eye care facilities and tertiary treatment.
 
•  On the other hand, women are more likely to attend an eye clinic if one is close to their houses.
 
• Only 44.5% of women in TS, AP, Odisha, and karnataka frequent rural vision care centres.
 
•  Why there are more women with visual impairments and fewer access due to socioeconomic factors
 
• Limited autonomy, insufficient financial resources, and insufficient social support for obtaining eye care
 
For more interesting updates wa click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel

Find out more:

Telangana Hyderabad

SIBY JEYYA

26/02/2024 08:26 AM