Gender Differences in Service Utilization and Pattern of Free Presbyopia Glasses Distribution among Patients at Eye...

Presbyopia is an age-related refractive condition that causes difficulty in seeing nearby objects clearly. It affects a significant portion of the world's population, especially individuals over 40 years old. Many studies show variation in the utilization of eye healthcare services according to gender in resource-limited settings like Nepal. This influence access to eye care service. This study aims to investigate gender-based differences in service utilization and prescription patterns at free presbyopia camps in Nepal.

A retrospective observational study analyzed anonymized socio-demographic and clinical data of 29,943 presbyopic patients attending free eye camps organized by twenty-six NNJS eye hospitals/centers across Nepal from 2020 to 2024. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh. Data on age, gender, and spectacle prescriptions were collected to assess service utilization and gender disparities.

Among the total presbyopic patients 15,356 (51.3%) had high presbyopia, with a slightly higher prevalence among males 8,025 (52.3%) compared to females 7,331 (47.7%). Presbyopia prevalence increased with age, peaking at 12,522 (41.8%) in those >56 years. Females had higher prevalence in younger age groups, while males predominated in older groups.

In this study, presbyopia was common in age group >56 years with service utilisation more by male.