title: Differential cataract blindness by sex in India: Evidence from two large national surveys.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Women suffer disproportionately more from cataract blindness compared to males in low- and middle-income countries. Two large population-based surveys have been undertaken in India at an interval of 7 years and data from these surveys provided an opportunity to assess the trends in gender differentials in cataract blindness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were extracted from the surveys to discern sex differences in cataract blindness. Multivariate analysis was performed to adjust for confounders and their impact on gender differences in cataract blindness. Blindness was defined as presenting vision <20/400 in the better eye, and a cataract blind person was defined as a blind person where the principal cause of loss of vision was cataract.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of cataract blindness was higher in females compared to males in both surveys. The odds of cataract blindness for females did not change over time as observed in the surveys (1999-2001 and 2006-2007). Adjusted odds ratio from logistic regression analysis revealed that females continued to be at a higher risk of cataract blindness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sex differences continued in India in relation to cataract blindness despite the gains made by the national program.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Hira B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Pant
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Souvik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Demography, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Murthy Venkata S
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gudlavalleti
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population