The Relationship Between Socio-Demographic Factors and Severity of Visual Field Loss in Glaucoma Patients at Initial Presentation In Benin-City, Nigeria

Abstract

Late presentation continues to be a major problem of patients with primary open angle glaucoma. The aim of this study is to determine the socio-demographic factors, which affect the severity of visual field loss at initial presentation. A prospective study of 154 new patients with a diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma seen between January 1997 and August 1998 at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria were analyzed in the context of gender, marital status, religion geographical abode, education status, occupation and monthly income. The patients were examined using the Bjerrum screen. The mean age was 52.73 years (SD+ 15.98) and the male to female ratio was 2.1:1. Eighty-seven patients (56.5%) presented late with visual field constricted to less than 100 of fixation. Gender, marital status, religions and geographical abode did not significantly affect the severity of visual field loss at presentation. There was a significant difference with occupation (P>0.05), educational status (P>0.05) and with monthly income (P>0.01). Patients in the higher socioeconomic classes, those who had tertiary level of education and those in the higher monthly income groups presented earlier than those in the lower socioeconomic classes, those with lower educational status and those in the lower monthly income groups respectively. Economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and improvement in educational status can reduce the problem of late presentation. KEY WORDS:Factors, severity, field loss, glaucoma. Sahel Med. J. Vol.5(4) 2002: 195-198