ABSTRACT

Cataract remains a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, with mature cataracts significantly contributing to vision loss. Despite the availability of effective surgical treatments, many patients delay or avoid surgery due to insufficient knowledge, cultural beliefs, financial challenges, and fear of surgery.  To Assess the level of knowledge among patients with mature cataracts regarding the condition, its symptoms, and available treatment options including surgery. A cross- sectional study was carried out in ophthalmology clinics at Egor LGA, Benin city, Edo state within three months in November-January 2025. The study was carried out by using a well- structured questionnaire administered to 75 walk in patients in the clinic(39 males and 36 females) . The information on the knowledge and attitude of patients with mature cataract and their disposition to surgery were obtained. The result was analyzed using th%) have had cataracts for periods within 6 months.majority of the participants had heard of cataract before their diagnosis (56.0%). The results show that majority of the participants noted that the cost and fear of surgery can prevent people from receiving treatment (76.0%, 70.7%).The results shows that majority of the participants noted that the eye is removed during a cataract surgery (46.7%). Most of the participants (58.7%) noted that they would be willing to undergo surgery if recommended by their doctor.Over half of the participants (66.7%) believed that better information would make them more likely to undergo surgery. The study concluded that, despite  the availability of eye care services, a lack of awareness and confidence in cataract surgery persists among the participants. Financial constraints, fear of surgery, and misconceptions were identified as critical barriers to surgical uptake.The majority of participants expressed concerns about living with cataracts and acknowledged the possibility of blindness if left untreated. However, confidence in surgical outcomes and trust in cataract surgery remain moderate. These findings underscore the need for multi-faceted interventions that include health education, financial support, and community engagement to improve the acceptance of cataract surgery.e statistical package for the social science (SPSS statistics for windows, version 22.0). The result showed that majority of the participants were males (52%) while a lesser number were females (48%). The highest proportion of participants (44.0%) were aged between 50-64 years. A greater number of the participants were farmers (33.3%). Also, majority of the participants (33.3

Keywords: Cataracts, , knowledge and attitude, Disposition to surgery,