Eye care seeking behavior among rural adults in South India: Tamil Nadu Rural Eye Examination (TREE) Study Report 1

PURPOSE: To present the eye care seeking behavior among rural adults in South India. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2019 and 2020 covering three blocks of the Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Door-to-door survey was performed to collect demographic information, status of literacy, occupation, and details of previous eye examination. Distance visual acuity was tested for individuals available in the house using a log MAR (logarithm of minimum angle of resonance) chart. Association between demographic details, details of previous eye examination, and status of vision was analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A data of 12,913 individuals were included for the analysis, of which 6460 (50.03%) were females. Of the total individuals, 2007 (15.54%) had undergone an eye examination previously. There were 1639 (28.50%) people who had a vision less than 0.2 log MAR in at least one eye. The odds of reported ‘previous eye examination’ were more among females [odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32–1.66, P < 0.001]; individuals aged above 60 years [OR: 11.46, 95% CI: 9.44–13.91, P < 0.001], between 40 and 60 years [OR: 10.43, 95% CI: 8.85–12.30, P < 0.001], and between 18 and 40 years [OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 2.16–2.84, P < 0.001]; illiterates (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.45–2.15, P < 0.001); and farmers (OR: 1.32 95% CI: 1.12–1.55, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study presents the utilization of eye care among rural South Indian adults. Almost 84.46% of individuals had not undergone any eye examination. Robust measures to promote eye care management would help in effective utilization of eye care services among rural adults.