Affiliation:
1. Turpanjian College of Health Sciences, American University of Armenia, Yerevan 0019, Armenia
Abstract
Cataract surgery helps to enhance visual function and improve the quality of life of cataract patients. The present study assessed visual outcomes and explored health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and factors associated with it following cataract surgery in Armenia. An interviewer-administered survey along with the ophthalmologic examination was conducted among 248 patients. It explored socio-demographic characteristics, use of eye care services, smoking status, comorbidities, and receiving and giving social support. A Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure HRQoL. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used for the analysis. About 72.8% of examined eyes had good visual outcomes, while 17.7% had borderline outcomes. Poor visual outcomes were detected in 9.5% of the eyes. The mean composite SF-36 score for physical health was 50.8, while the mean composite score for mental health was 49.9. Gender, socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and receiving and giving tangible social support were significantly associated with SF-36 physical component in the adjusted analysis, while the variables which demonstrated significant association with the mental component included socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and giving tangible support. The visual outcome after cataract surgery in Armenian patients is below WHO-recommended standards. The quality of ophthalmological surgical care should be monitored to maximize the visual outcome in Armenian patients, with a focus on women, patients with poor socioeconomic status, and those with non-communicable diseases.
Subject
Health Information Management,Health Informatics,Health Policy,Leadership and Management
Reference76 articles.
1. World Health Organization (2023, August 18). World Report on Vision [Internet]. Available online: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516570.
2. Important Causes of Visual Impairment in the World Today;Congdon;JAMA,2003
3. Cataract and surgery for cataract;Allen;BMJ,2006
4. Improved Visual Function and Attenuation of Declines in Health-Related Quality of Life after Cataract Extraction;Mangione;Arch. Ophthalmol.,1994
5. Monitoring visual outcome of cataract surgery in India;Limburg;Bull. World Health Organ.,1999