A significant proportion of garment industry workers in Hyderabad suffer from untreated vision problems that are associated with lower workplace productivity, according to a study conducted by researchers at the LV Prasad Eye Institute.
The study, titled, Distance and Near Vision Impairment and its Impact on Work Productivity Among Garment Industry Workers in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, assessed 1,361 workers across five garment factories in the city and found that both distance and near vision impairments were common among employees.
Researchers reported that 6.9% of workers experienced distance vision impairment (DVI), while 52.4% of workers aged 40 years and above were affected by near vision impairment (NVI). The findings indicated that workers with visual impairments experienced significantly greater productivity losses than those with normal vision, underlining the economic and occupational impact of untreated eye conditions.
The research was carried out in garment factories located in Hyderabad’s western and north-eastern industrial zones. Uncorrected refractive errors were identified as the leading cause of distance vision impairment, accounting for 90.4% of cases. Near vision impairment was found to be primarily caused by uncorrected presbyopia, a common age-related condition affecting the ability to focus on nearby objects.
The study noted that many of these vision problems could be effectively corrected through the use of spectacles.
Women accounted for 87% of the study participants, reflecting the demographic composition of the local garment manufacturing workforce. The researchers observed that visual impairment can have a substantial effect on workers involved in precision-based tasks such as stitching, cutting and garment assembly.
Using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) assessment tool, the researchers identified a clear relationship between impaired vision and reduced work performance. Workers with distance vision impairment recorded a productivity impact score of 12.6, compared with 8.8 among workers with normal distance vision. Similarly, workers with near vision impairment registered a score of 13.3, compared with 7.7 among those without the condition.
The study concluded that blurred vision and presbyopia significantly reduce occupational efficiency, with the findings suggesting that visual deficits can lower productivity by more than 40%.
To address the issue, the authors recommended routine eye examinations within workplaces and the timely provision of spectacles for both distance and near vision correction. They argued that delivering eye-care services directly at factory sites could help overcome barriers to treatment, including time constraints, concerns about wage losses due to absence from work, and travel-related expenses.
According to the study, improving access to vision correction could enhance worker well-being, boost productivity and support wider economic development by increasing the earning potential of industrial workers.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
