title: Prevalence, causes of blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgical services in Sindhudurg district on the western coastal strip of India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Konkan coast of India is geographically distinct and its pattern of blindness has never been mapped.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and causes of blindness and cataract surgical services in Sindhudurg district of West Coast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual aged > 50 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness used to map blindness pattern in the district.
  
  
  METHODS
  SPSS version 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst those examined 1415 (51.7%) had visual acuity (VA) >20/60, 924 (33.8%, confidence interval (C.I) 30.5%-36.8%) had VA 20/200-<20/60(visual impairment), 266 (9.7%, C.I. 6.1%-13.3%) had VA < 20/200-20/400 (severe visual impairment) and 132 (4.8%, C. I. 1.1%-8.5%) had VA < 20/400 (blindness by WHO standards). There was no significant gender difference in prevalence of blindness, but blindness and visual impairment was more in older and rural residing individuals. Amongst those with presenting vision < 20/200 in better eye, 309 (82.4%) had cataract, 36 (9.7%) had corneal scars, 13 (3.5%) had diabetic retinopathy and 3 (0.8%) had glaucoma. Cataract surgical coverage for the district was only 30.5%; 32% for males and 28.4% for females. Unable to afford, lack of knowledge and lack of access to services were the commonest barriers responsible for cataract patients not seeking care. Amongst those who had undergone cataract surgery, only 50% had visual acuity ≥ 20/60.46.9% of the population had spectacles for near, but only 53.3% of the population had presenting near vision < N10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cataract, refractive errors and diabetes were significant causes of visual impairment and blindness.
authors.forename: Shailbala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Lions NAB Eye Hospital, Miraj; Dr. Gogate's Eye Clinic, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Parikshit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gogate
authors.forename: Siddharth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vora
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ainapure
authors.forename: Ramkrishna N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Hingane
authors.forename: Anil N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Shammanna
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity