{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T08:26:09Z","timestamp":1793607969744,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Nepal Journals Online (JOL)","issue":"35","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]],"date-time":"2026-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775174400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nep J Oph"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Cataract is a common cause of blindness in spite of providing free or subsidised cataract surgery in Indian subcontinent.\nObjective: To understand why patients do not undergo cataract surgery despite availability of services in the vicinity of a low-income group settlement.\nMethodology: This community-based survey was done over three years. A door-to-door eye screening was conducted in 2015-16 with a vision centre offering subsidised care. Census method was utilised for data collection. Those with operable cataracts were advised of the need for surgery. On follow-up visits in 2017, 2018, and 2019, those still visually impaired with unoperated cataracts were interviewed (questionnaire-based) to identify barriers to cataract surgery in an urban slum in Pune city, Maharashtra state of India, after ethics permission. SSPS.v16 software was used for analysis.\nResult: The authors screened 45,535 individuals in 2015-16. In 2017, 474 still had blinding cataracts. Of them, 85 (25.8%) had undergone cataract surgery in 2018, and 245 still had cataracts. In 2019, of the 245 participants, 47 (24.7%) had undergone surgery, and 143 remained. The main barrier was the high cost (&gt;50%) across all three years, especially among older respondents (2017, 2018: p=0.006; 2019: p=0.01). The other barriers were family\/business obligations, and participants did not perceive cataracts as severe problem. This barrier was significantly more common among males (p=0.039) and those with longer cataract duration (p &lt;0.001). Respondents with poor vision in the better eye had lower rate of family obligations as a barrier in all years (2017: p=0.008; 2018: p=0.013; 2019: p &lt;0.001).\nConclusion: The community screening and vision centre addressed barriers such as lack of awareness, poor service and distance, but even the subsidised cost was a challenge. Family\/business obligations and no prioritisation were other reasons. Qualitativeresearch is needed to understand the dynamics of these barriers and design appropriate interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3126\/nepjoph.v18i35.86246","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T13:43:36Z","timestamp":1790603016000},"page":"41-54","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Why Do People Remain Cataract Blind Despite Easily Accessible, Affordable Quality Service? Four-year Community-based Study"],"prefix":"10.3126","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-7188-9529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Supriya","family":"Phadke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7008-5463","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Parikshit","family":"Gogate","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3925-1005","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rajiv","family":"Khandekar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6670-0235","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Geeta","family":"Pardeshi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-7687-8465","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shrivallabh","family":"Sane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-7361-2876","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ozhukil Kollath","family":"Radhakrishnan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-1419-8868","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kashinath","family":"Bhoosnurmath","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1670","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]]},"container-title":["Nepalese Journal of Ophthalmology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nepjol.info\/index.php\/NEPJOPH\/article\/download\/86246\/74754","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nepjol.info\/index.php\/NEPJOPH\/article\/download\/86246\/74754","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T07:28:08Z","timestamp":1793604488000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nepjol.info\/index.php\/NEPJOPH\/article\/view\/86246"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"35","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3126\/nepjoph.v18i35.86246","relation":{},"ISSN":["2091-0320","2072-6805"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2091-0320","type":"electronic"},{"value":"2072-6805","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]]}}}