Household pollutants, housing condition and cataracts among older adults in India: A rural-urban perspective

<h2>Abstract:</h2><h3>Problem considered</h3> Cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment accounting for 17.7 million globally and 80% of blindness in India. This study tries to capture various household environmental factors like type of fuel used, dampness, smoke emitting substances and rural-urban differentials in the prevalence of cataracts among older adults aged 60 years and above in India. <h3>Methods</h3> Data has been used from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India. The outcome variable for the study is ‘self-reported cataract' whereas explanatory variables ranged from socio-economic factors, health and exposure factors like exposure to smoke and dampness. Multivariable logistic regressions and Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions were used for the analysis. <h3>Results</h3> The study found that the prevalence of cataracts is higher in urban areas (30%) compared to rural areas (21%) where people use a variety of pollutants. The internal environment of the house comprising of dampness, smoke emitting substances (agarbatti and liquid vaporizer), and use of unclean fuel increase the risk of cataracts. Health risk factors linked to urban lifestyle such as diabetes and hypertension, use of substances like liquid vaporizers, and pucca houses widen the urban-rural gap in cataract prevalence. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Urban areas are at an advantage than rural areas in terms of awareness and healthcare support to combat cataracts, but compromised household environment can augment the growth of cataracts among older urban adults. This study highlights the need for local-needs-based policies to combat this silent pandemic of cataracts in India.