Cataract Risk Factors in Yazd Province, Iran

Purpose: To determine the probable cataract risk factors in Yazd province, Iran. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study patients over 40 years old undergoing cataract surgery in Shahid Sadoughi hospital, Yazd, Iran, from January to September 2016 were evaluated. A checklist was filled for all patients including information about their sex, age, weight, height, place of living (city or village), being native or non-native of Yazd, type of job, the level of household income, level of education, smoking habits, drug usage, as well as a history of related diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, rheumatism, kidney, and heart diseases. Results: Two hundred and fifty four patients (45.8 %) had income of less than 6,000,000 Rials per month, 270 (48.6 %) had income of between 6,000,000 and 10,000,000 Rials per month and the rest of patients (5.6 %) had an income of over 10,000,000 Rials per month. Regarding the education level 512 patients (92.3 %) had less than high school diploma, 38 (6.8 %) had high school diploma and 5 patients had university education. Eighteen patients (3.2 %) had a history of glaucoma. From 437 patients who their BMI was recorded 4.8 % had a BMI of under 18, 49.7 % had a BMI of between 18 and 25 and 45.5 % had a BMI of over 25. Conclusion: Our study suggests a relationship between the income and education level as well as BMI and the prevalence of cataract among patients in Yazd province, Iran. Future case control trials, with higher number of participants, are recommended.