Female gender: A significant barrier to access cataract surgery in rural Gurugram, Haryana, India

Abstract

The goal of this study is to determine whether the female gender is a barrier for the access to cataract surgery in the rural population of Gurugram district, Haryana, India. The data of consecutive 100 male and 100 female patients operated for cataract surgery at Department of Ophthalmology, University-affiliated hospital were studied. Data pertaining to age of the patients, visual acuity of the operated and better eye, maturity of the cataract at time of surgery, type of cataract surgery opted were analysed. Visual impairment was considered when visual acuity of the better eye was less than 6/18 (0.32).Two types of cataract surgery were offered to the patients: manual small-incision cataract surgery (SICS) and phacoemulsification. Independent t-tailed test was used to analyse data to ascertain female gender as a barrier to access cataract surgery. The findings indicate that the difference in age at the time of surgery between men and women was not statistically significant ( p = .327). The analysis of visual impairment in the operated eye of men and women was also not statistically significant ( p = .173). However, the analysis of visual impairment in the better eye was strongly suggestive of gender bias with statistically significant results ( p = .001). In total, 71% male and 56% female patients opted for phacoemulsification surgery, whereas 44% women and 29% men chose less-expensive manual SICS surgery. The study indicates that females had severe visual impairment in the better eye at the time of surgery and also opted for a less-expensive option indicating less financial freedom and decision-making power.