ABSTRACT
Purpose: Diabetes?related retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in India. The study was carried out with the purpose of studying the association of sight?threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) with socioeconomic factors and demonstrating the impact of STDR on the affected individual. Methods: A mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) research design was used. The study participants were divided into two groups for quantitative analysis. The control group consisted of non–sight?threatening diabetic retinopathy, whereas the study group consisted of sight?threatening diabetic retinopathy. Apart from demographics, data on comorbidities, type and duration of diabetes mellitus (DM), health insurance status, and socioeconomic data were collected from each individual. A statistical test (Chi?square) was performed to study the association between socioeconomic (SE) classes and STDR. For the qualitative part, a few people were chosen. Face?to?face interviews were conducted in depth. Results: A total of 207 individuals, were recruited, of which 69 had STDR and the remaining 138 had non?STDR. The incidence of STDR was high among patients with lower socioeconomic class (SEC) (upper lower and lower), and univariate analysis revealed a strong association between STDR and SEC, the presence of comorbidities, presence of health insurance, type and duration of DM, and P value <0.05. SEC, in contrast, emerged as an independent risk factor for STDR in multivariate analysis. STDR had a devastating effect on all patients interviewed. The financial impact was most likely the most severe. Conclusion: People with lower SEC are more likely to suffer from STDR?related vision loss. The impact of such vision loss on individuals is multifaceted, including a negative impact on social and work life, psychological well?being, and, most importantly, a significant financial impact.