Ocular morbidities among the geriatric persons, attending the ophthalmology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in eastern Odisha: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: According to the census of 2011, 13% of the Indian population was 60 years of age or older. As the geriatric population is the most vulnerable part of society, they are prone to all type of diseases including eye problems which are preventable or correctable but requires constant medical, financial, and social support. This study will find the magnitude of various ocular morbidities and their relationship with sociodemographic factors among geriatrics. Objective: 1. To find the magnitude of ocular morbidities among the elderly. 2. To study the relationship of different sociodemographic factors with ocular morbidities. 3. To estimate the average time spent for getting ophthalmic care at the outpatient department (OPD). Subjects and Methods: It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in the Ophthalmology OPD of Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha, from January to December 2016. A total of 1320 geriatric persons were enrolled during this period. Ethical clearance was obtained. Results: Out of the 1320 geriatric patients, 58.86% were in the age group of 60–69 years, 35.22% in 70–79 years, and 5.9% ≥80 years with a mean age of 67.7 ± 6.7 years. Males accounted for 70.98% and females for 29.02%. Different ocular morbidities detected are cataract (59.2%), refractive error (18%), ocular injury (5.9%), diabetic retinopathy (3.9%), glaucoma and chronic dacryocystitis (3%), and foreign body in the eye (2%). The total waiting time in the ophthalmology OPD to get ophthalmic care was 7.8 ± 3.2 min. The total consultation time in the OPD was 75.59 ± 27.15 min. Conclusion: The most common cause of visual impairment/blindness in the geriatric age group are cataract and refractive errors which are treated/corrected free of cost at any government health facility under the National Programme for Control of Blindness. People should be aware of the causes, prevention modalities, and treatment of the causes of blindness.