Changes in quality of life, daily functioning, stigma experiences and economic productivity after cataract surgery among adults with severe vision impairment in rural Mozambique: a prospective cohort study
Summary
This prospective cohort study assessed cataract surgery’s broader impacts on functioning, stigma, and economic wellbeing in rural Mozambique.
Between June and December 2023, 927 patients received cataract surgery and were followed for 12 months. After surgery, participants reporting difficulty in seeing reduced from 80.2% to 4.6%, and other difficulties from 58.6% to 14.4%. Reports of poor general health decreased from 22.7% to 5.0%. More people were able to participate in paid work from 9.4% before surgery to 18.9% after, and own work from 35.4% to 76.1%. There was also less food and income insufficiency. Internalised stigma decreased from 54.0% to 3.0%, and community stigma from 37.1% to 2.4%.
In this study, cataract surgery was associated with marked improvements in vision, functioning, health, economic participation and stigma, showing its value as both a clinical and socioeconomic intervention in underserved rural settings.