Association between diabetes and cataracts in the Peruvian population: analysis of a national survey

Objective: To determine the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and cataracts in Peruvian adults over 50 years of age. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical observational study corresponding to the secondary analysis of the 2019 Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud Familiar database. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was considered an independent variable and cataract as a dependent variable. A descriptive analysis was performed using absolute frequencies and weighted proportions, as well as a multivariate analysis using generalized linear models of the Poisson family with logarithmic link function to estimate prevalence ratios on the association between diabetes and cataracts. Results: Data from a total of 8,775 Peruvian adults over 50 years of age were analyzed, of whom 1,322 self-reported a diagnosis of cataract. Of the total respondents, 9.2% reported having been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 16.7% with cataracts. The crude model (p<0.001) and the adjusted models 1 (p=0.007) and 2 (p=0.029) found an association between having diabetes mellitus and having cataracts. Conclusion: Two out of ten adults aged 50 years old and older in Peru had cataracts.