Glaucoma awareness and knowledge in a tertiary care hospital in a tier-2 city in South India

Abstract

Background: Awareness of glaucoma is low in spite of being the second leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. Aim: To study the awareness and knowledge levels of glaucoma in a tertiary eye care hospital in a tier-2 city. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital-based crosssectional study. A total of 704 patients attending ophthalmology outpatient department of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Medical Sciences and Hospital (SDM) Dharwad, aged 40 years and above were administered a questionnaire after a written informed consent to assess their awareness and knowledge levels of glaucoma. Subjects having heard of glaucoma even before they were recruited for the study were defined as aware, and subjects having some understanding of the eye disease were defined as knowledgeable. Results: Out of 704 subjects recruited for the study, only 34 (4.8%) subjects were aware of glaucoma and 22 (3.1%) had some knowledge of glaucoma. Determinants of glaucoma awareness were higher levels of education, diabetes, or glaucoma and family history of glaucoma. Conclusion: Awareness and knowledge of glaucoma was very low among the subjects. The findings of the study stress the need for health awareness for effective prevention of blindness due to glaucoma.