Epidemiology of Low Vision in East India: Prevalence, Causes, and Impact on Quality of Life

Abstract

Aim To estimate the prevalence, causes, and impact of low vision among older adults in East India.  Methodology Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), wave-1 (2017–18). Low vision was defined as visual acuity worse than 20/63 in the better eye. The study sample consisted of 10,163 older adults aged 45 years and above from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.  Results The prevalence of low vision was 36.4%, with higher rates among females (40.5%) than males (31.8%). The main causes of low vision were cataracts (54.6%), refractive error (23.4%), and other eye diseases (22%).  Conclusion Low vision was significantly associated with lower educational attainment, lower wealth status, rural residence, eastern region, hypertension, stroke, depression, cognitive impairment, disability, and lower quality of life. The study highlights the need for effective interventions to prevent and treat low vision and its associated comorbidities among older adults in East India.