Abstract

This prospective study sought to determine the demographic and socioeconomic factors that predicted the delay of cataract surgery in patients suffering from hyper-mature or mature cataracts in urban Chongqing, China. A total of 576 patients who had mature or hyper-mature age-related cataracts were interviewed to determine the reasons why a delay in their cataract treatment had occurred and to identify factors associated with the delay. These data were collected in urban Chongqing, China from 1st January, 2008 to 31st December, 2008. The major factors associated with the delay of surgical treatment included the following: a diagnosis of an “immature” cataract; partially intact vision; unawareness of presence of cataract. The amount of time in which cataract surgery was delayed was associated with age, medical insurance, and eye examination (P < 0.05). Aging, lack of medical insurance, and an annual eye examination were all factors that impeded cataract patients from seeking cataract surgery. In order to convince patients to receive timely cataract surgery, it is important that individuals 50 years of age and older have an annual eye examination and are educated about cataracts and the importance of cataract surgery, as well as the expansion of medical insurance coverage.

Key words: Cataract, surgery, prospective, delaying, urban.