Knowledge Of Glaucoma Research Articles

Glaucoma awareness and knowledge among adults in woliso town, South West Ethiopia

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and it is next to cataract as common cause of blindness [1-4]. The global prevalence of glaucoma for population aged 40–80 years is 3.5%. The magnitude of glaucoma is expected to keep increasing with the world population growth and increasing number of ageing people [5]. Ninety percent of affected people in the developing countries and 50% in developed world do not know that they have the disease [6]. In Sub-Saharan Africa glaucoma is more prevalent and has been considered as a major public health issue for the region [7,8]. Up to 50% of glaucoma patients are already blind at least in one eye at presentation in Africa including Ethiopia [7,9].

Glaucoma among the Malaysian Community.

Background According to the WHO, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. About 50% of the world's glaucoma cases come from the Asian population, and in Malaysia itself, the prevalence of glaucoma is increasing. However, glaucoma is still a foreign word to our community despite the high prevalence. Therefore, there is an urgent need to determine the awareness of glaucoma among the community and its associated factors. Results This study showed that only 25.2% of our respondents were aware of glaucoma and it is associated with ethnicity, religion, education, and household income. Besides, among those who were aware, they fall into the group of poor knowledge of glaucoma. On the other hand, the knowledge of glaucoma was associated with occupation and the awareness of glaucoma by definition. The validated questionnaire was distributed and the data were analyzed by SPSS software using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-square test. Conclusion Awareness and knowledge of glaucoma in this population is low. These findings suggest that there is a need for an efficient information and education strategy to be designed and conducted to increase the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma so that early detection can be made and effective management of individuals with this condition can be delivered.

Physical activity of patients with a primary open angle glaucoma.

To assess physical activity (PA) including its intensity in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). PA was characterized by the use of questionnaires: Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall and Historical Leisure Activity Questionnaire. A questionnaire of 36 questions, developed by the authors, was used to assess the level of knowledge about glaucoma. The study was conducted among 625 adults. The study group comprised 312 POAG patients aged over 40y, including 238 women (76%) and 74 men (24%). The control group consisted of 313 adults (>40 years old), including 202 (65%) women and 111 men (35%). The duration of current PA with an intensity of 4 metabolic equivalents (METs) was significantly shorter among people with POAG. PA in the past was significantly lower among people from the study group, regardless of gender. The level of glaucoma knowledge in patients with POAG was poor and significantly lower in men. Regular PA is an important and underestimated factor predisposing to the progression of POAG. There is a necessity to undertake educational and preventive actions with a view to modify the health behavior of glaucoma patients.

To study glaucoma awareness, knowledge, attitude towards screening in patients of western Uttar Pradesh

Purpose: To Study Glaucoma awareness, knowledge, attitude towards screening in patients of Western Uttar Pradesh.Materials and Method: Descriptive study with 200 sample size including rural and urban population between the age of 18-60 years in outreach camps were given open ended Questionnaire fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria.Result: Awareness distribution was 63.5% more among the males (81%) than females (63%). Urbans had 44.1% whereas in Rurals 90.4% had no awareness. Knowledge distribution was 32.5% with male 70.8% whereas in the Females it was 37.8%.Urbans knowledge was 86.2% whereas in Rurals 94.8% had no knowledge. Screening distribution was 76.7% in males whereas in the Female category 44.5% had no screening. 62.2% Urbans had screening but 93.6% Rurals had no screening.Conclusion: Good knowledge of glaucoma through mass media and campaigns may enhance health-seeking behaviour among citizens and cope with the demands of the life-long management of the condition.

Knowledge of open angle glaucoma questionnaire: Design and validation in Spanish-speaking patients of Peru

Abstract Objective To design and validate a questionnaire on the knowledge of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in Spanish-speaking patients. Methods An observational study was conducted on adults with diagnosis of POAG and who received outpatient medical care in a national reference health care institute of Peru. The questionnaire was based on a literature review and expert judgment. A pilot study was carried out on 60 patients. The items were classified and weighted according to the expert judgment. The final questionnaire was completed by 314 patients and its overall score was scaled by tertiles. Results A total of 72 items were found by primary searching. The initial questionnaire was made up of 20 items, which was tested in a pilot study. A total of 14 items were selected that were then classified into three weighted domains: risk factors (10 %), clinical aspects (36 %), and treatment (54 %). The questionnaire has a score range from 0 to 100 points (lowest to highest level). In patients, the mean score was 62.6 ± 14.1. The overall score was classified into three categories of knowledge level: low (0–55 points), medium (56–69 points), and high (70–100 points). Conclusions The questionnaire provides evidence of validity to assess knowledge of POAG in Peruvian Spanish-speaking patients.

Understanding Barriers to Glaucoma Treatment Adherence among Participants in South India

ABSTRACTPurpose: Data on glaucoma treatment barriers in South India is limited; improved knowledge of barriers could advance disease self-management. We aimed to understand glaucoma treatment barriers in South India.Methods: Glaucoma patients ≥18 taking ≥1 medication at the Aravind Eye Hospital were screened with a validated medication adherence tool. Patients who self-reported poor adherence and/or were >3 months late for follow-up completed semi-structured interviews on treatment barriers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated and back-translated to ensure accuracy. Researchers used grounded theory to code the transcripts and identify themes using NVivo 11.0. Demographic and clinical characteristics were abstracted from the medical record.Results: 70/167 (42%) had poor self-reported adherence to drops. The 45 interviewed were 62 ± 12 years and took 1.6 ± 0.7 drops. Forty-two (93%) were non-adherent to medication and 21 (47%) were late for follow-up. Top barriers to medication adherence were difficulty obtaining drops (20, 44%), being busy (18, 40%), and the expense (17, 38%). Top barriers to appointment follow-up were distance to the hospital (21, 47%), expense (20, 44%), and no escort (15, 33%). Other important barriers included mistrust in the health system, poor knowledge of glaucoma and family needs.Conclusions: Previously, 6% of glaucoma patients in South India self-reported poor medication adherence; the 42% identified in this study is in line with glaucoma medication adherence rates globally. Complex factors caused high rates of non-adherence. Societal-level interventions that address systemic barriers and counselling that supports patients’ and families’ motivation for behaviour change should be implemented.

Knowledge of glaucoma and associated factors among adults in Gish Abay town, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundGlaucoma is a global public health problem and it is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Even though public knowledge of glaucoma is a key for early case identification and prevention of blindness, it is unknown in the study area, making provision of interventions difficult. Therefore, this study was intended to assess knowledge of glaucoma and associated factors among adults in Gish Abay town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.MethodsA Community based cross - sectional design study with systematic random sampling technique was used to select 630 adults. The study was conducted from April to May, 2018. Data was entered into Epi Info version 7 and was analysed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Binary logistic regression model and adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence level was used to identify the significant factors associated with knowledge of glaucoma. Variables with P–value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsAbout 594 adults were participated with a response rate of 94%. Above half of (52%) the participants were females with median age of 28 years. The proportion of good knowledge was demonstrated in 16.8% [95% CI; 14.0, 19.9]. Educational status: primary education [AOR; 2.89: 1.41, 5.90], secondary education [AOR; 3.03: 1.47, 6.24] college and above [AOR; 5.18: 2.21, 12.13], history of eye examination [AOR; 6.52: 3.37, 12.63]; family history of glaucoma [AOR; 12.08: 4.13, 35.30] and higher income level [AOR; 3.11: 1.55, 6.25] were positively associated with good knowledge of glaucoma.ConclusionsThe proportion of good knowledge of glaucoma was low. Higher educational status, positive family history of glaucoma, eye examination and higher income level were significantly associated with knowledge of glaucoma.

Knowledge, attitudes, and self-care practices associated with age-related eye disease in Saudi Arabia

Background: Eye disease is a major public concern and is considered as part of natural aging. Promoting the knowledge of eye disease’s symptoms and risks could decrease the burden of eye problems and achieve an effective treatment. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and self-care practices associated with age-related eye disease (ARED) among the general population in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,700 participants in Saudi Arabia. An online well-constructed questionnaire was disseminated and self-administered by each participant via e-mail. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. Frequency and percentages were presented in tables for the qualitative data. Univariate odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated to show the strength of the association between correct knowledge of AREDs and socio-demographic factors. Results: Among the 1,700 participants, 59% were female and 41% were male, with a mean age of 35.6 ± 7 years. Almost 85% of the participants had a proper knowledge of glaucoma, 70% knew of cataract, and 56% knew of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The majority (94%) provided correct knowledge of glaucoma, 90% of AMD, and 60% could correctly define cataract. Age, education, positive family history, and last visit to an eye practitioner were highly associated with a high level of Saudi population’s knowledge toward ARED. Conclusion: Most participants had an adequate level of awareness regarding AREDs. The highest proportions of the population had a good knowledge of glaucoma, followed by cataract and AMD. Most of the participants provided correct knowledge of glaucoma, followed by AMD and then cataract disease. Age, educational level, positive family history, and last visit to an eye practitioner were the common factors that impacted the level of knowledge toward ARED.

Eye Care Practices, Knowledge, and Attitude of Glaucoma Patients at Community Eye Outreach Screening in Nigeria.

Background:Community eye outreach (CEO) screening is an important model which has been widely employed to detect eye conditions such as cataract and glaucoma in high-risk groups. There is a dearth of data on the eye care practices of glaucoma patients identified using this model in South West Nigeria.Objectives:The aim of this article is to assess the eye care practices, knowledge, and attitudes of glaucoma patients/suspects identified at CEO screenings in Nigeria.Design of the Study:This was a mixed method study with quantitative and qualitative approaches.Setting in Which the Study Took Place:The study was carried out at 24 outreach screening centres in communities in Oyo and Osun states.Materials and Methods:The quantitative component of this study was a cross-sectional survey of patients with suspected glaucoma identified at routine CEO in South West Nigeria. Surveys were administered by trained personnel and gathered information on knowledge and attitudes towards glaucoma. The qualitative component consisted of structured interviews with providers to assess their knowledge and perspectives of glaucoma patients’ attitudes and behaviours.Results:A total of 1881 patients were screened at 24 outreach screenings in South West Nigeria, among which 120 glaucoma cases/suspects were identified. Fifty-six (46.7%) of the glaucoma patients were aware of glaucoma, but only 39 (32.5%) patients could answer at least one knowledge question correctly. Predictors of awareness of glaucoma were minimum of secondary school education [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 8.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.18–24.13] and having had an eye check-up in the past (adjusted OR 5.87; 95% CI 1.92 – 17.92). Patients said cost and ‘not knowing the disease was serious’ were reasons for not following up at the main hospital. Health workers interviewed said that cost and poor knowledge were the main reasons glaucoma patients frequently attended free outreach screening events rather than seeking definitive care.Conclusion:Although CEO screenings improve access to eye care, provision of appropriate health education programs and strengthening of the health insurance scheme are needed to improve its impact in glaucoma care.

Knowledge and awareness about glaucoma and its determinants: A lesson learned from a community-based survey of a developing nation

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of awareness and knowledge about glaucoma and possible determining factors behind it. Materials and Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional study in a rural community of Punjab province of India, conducted from August 2018 to January 2019. The knowledge about glaucoma was assessed by modified version of Glaucoma Knowledge level Questionnaire, developed by Husder, Department of Public Health, Turkey. Association between variables was assessed by chi-square test, and P value 0.05 or less was considered as statistically significant. Results: Among 1925 participants, only 413 (21.5%) were aware about glaucoma but 375 (90.8%) had poor knowledge about the disease. Higher educational status (P = 0.0001), employed participants (P = 0.0001), presence of eye problem (P = 0.0001), and once a year regular eye checkup (P = 0.001) had significant positive association with the awareness of glaucoma, whereas those with a family history of glaucoma (P = 0.0002) and those who were ever screened for glaucoma (P = 0.0001) had significantly better knowledge about glaucoma. Conclusion: We recommend that Information education & communication activities of National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) should be strengthened to specifically target rural adult population of India.

Conocimientos sobre glaucoma primario de ángulo abierto: diseño y validación de un cuestionario en pacientes hispanohablantes de Perú

ObjectiveTo design and validate a questionnaire on the knowledge of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in Spanish-speaking patients. MethodsAn observational study was conducted on adults with diagnosis of POAG and who received outpatient medical care in a national reference health care institute of Peru. The questionnaire was based on a literature review and expert judgment. A pilot study was carried out on 60 patients. The items were classified and weighted according to the expert judgment. The final questionnaire was completed by 314 patients and its overall score was scaled by tertiles. ResultsA total of 72 items were found by primary searching. The initial questionnaire was made up of 20 items, which was tested in a pilot study. A total of 14 items were selected that were then classified into 3weighted domains: risk factors (10%), clinical aspects (36%), and treatment (54%). The questionnaire has a score range from 0 to 100 points (lowest to highest level). In patients, the mean score was 62.6±14.1. The overall score was classified into 3categories of knowledge level: low (0 to 55 points), medium (56 to 69 points), and high (70 to 100 points). ConclusionsThe questionnaire provides evidence of validity to assess knowledge of POAG in Peruvian Spanish-speaking patients.

Knowledge Of glaucoma and its socio-demographic determinants: a comparative study of selected rural and urban communities in Kwara State, North-central Nigeria

Knowledge Of glaucoma and its socio-demographic determinants: a comparative study of selected rural and urban communities in Kwara State, North-central Nigeria

Day Ward Glaucoma Patients Have Lower Depression Levels and Higher Glaucoma Knowledge Levels than Inpatients.

Importance Psychological factors and glaucoma knowledge are closely related to the effects of glaucoma treatment. Background Studies comparing anxiety and depression levels and glaucoma knowledge between glaucoma day-case patients and inpatients are limited. Design Randomized clinical trial. Participants Consecutive patients undergoing surgery were prospectively enrolled. Methods Patients were randomized into the day-case group or the inpatient group. All of the patients underwent corresponding procedures for treatment, care, and education. All participants were asked to complete the General Condition Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Gray Glaucoma Knowledge Questionnaire (GGKQ) at admission and the HADS and GGKQ at discharge. Main Outcome Measures The scores for the General Condition Questionnaire, the HADS, and the GGKQ. Results In total, 216 patients were enrolled in this study, including 119 day ward patients and 97 inpatients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of their baseline demographic and clinical data (P > 0.05). The baseline HADS-anxiety (HADS-A), HADS-depression (HADS-D), and GGKQ scores were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Before discharge, the difference in HADS-A scores between the two groups was not significant; however, the HADS-D scores of the day-case inpatients were significantly lower (α = 0.05, P < 0.001), and the GGKQ scores of day-case inpatients were significantly higher than those of the inpatients before discharge (α = 0.05, P < 0.001). Conclusions and Relevance Day ward patients had lower levels of depression and higher levels of glaucoma knowledge.

Awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among hospital personnel in a tertiary care center in rural Karnataka

Awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among hospital personnel in a tertiary care center in rural Karnataka

Knowledge and awareness of glaucoma in South India

Background: Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide. It is estimated that by 2020, India will become the second largest population affected with glaucoma. Despite the various efforts by government and NGO agencies in conducting various out-reach and screening programmes the burden of glaucoma seems to be rising in India. Aims and Objectives: Our study was aimed to find the awareness about glaucoma and the level of knowledge and the various reasons for the lack of its knowledge. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based study was done on 1311 participants above 40 years of age attending the OPD. Participants who were aware of the condition glaucoma were further asked about the basic knowledge of the condition pertaining to its symptoms, treatment options and its visual prognosis. Results: The awareness of glaucoma was found to be poor. Around 10% of the aware population had good to excellent knowledge about glaucoma. Relatives of people affected by glaucoma were the most aware and knowledgable. Conclusion: Our study showed that the awareness and knowledge about glaucoma and its risk factors and treatment were poor, especially in a population with lower economic status and literacy levels.

Evaluating the effectiveness of education in improving public knowledge and awareness of glaucoma

Evaluating the effectiveness of education in improving public knowledge and awareness of glaucoma

Follow-up and adherence to glaucoma care by newly diagnosed glaucoma patients in enugu, nigeria

ABSTRACTPurpose: To determine uptake, adherence and influencing factors to follow-up care by newly diagnosed glaucoma patients from free eye screening exercise.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey of newly diagnosed glaucoma patients during free eye screenings carried out in March and October, 2016 in Enugu, Nigeria. Data on participants were analyzed after a minimum of 6 months from the screening for uptake and adherence to follow-up care. Qualifying patients had questionnaires administered to them by phone interview. Information requested regards awareness, knowledge on diagnosis as well as reasons for non-uptake and non-adherence.Results: 182 newly diagnosed glaucoma patients were included of which 121 (66.5%) were males, with median age of 50years.About 164 (90.1%) had at least a primary education. There were more self- employed persons 59 (32.4%) compared to other occupations. Uptake of follow up care was 17.6% (32/182). Adherence rate was 25% (8/32). Major reasons for non-uptake were lack of funds 54.9% (n = 50/91), distance 11% (n = 10/91) and receiving care from other facilities 11.0% (n = 10/91). Others include discourteous staff behavior and lack of information on diagnosis. Similarly, major reasons for non-adherence were lack of funds 44.4% (n = 8/18) and distance 22.2% (n = 4/18). Knowledge and prior awareness of glaucoma were found to be significantly associated with uptake of follow up care (p = 0.020).Conclusion: Uptake and adherence to follow-up was found to be low in this study population mainly attributed to cost, distance and poor knowledge of glaucoma natural history. Reviewing cost/out of pocket expenditure, providing care closer to patients, adequate education of staff and patients may significantly improve uptake of care after initial diagnosis.

Knowledge, attitudes and self-care practices of patients with glaucoma in uThungulu in KwaZulu-Natal

Background: Glaucoma remains one of the leading causes of blindness in South Africa. Early detection, effective treatment and strict compliance with treatment are instrumental to prevent further damage to the optic nerve and thus preserve vision.Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and self-care practices of patients with glaucoma in KwaZulu-Natal.Setting: The study was conducted in the ophthalmology outpatient department of a public hospital and a private ophthalmology practice in the uThungulu district.Methods: This was an observational, analytic, cross-sectional study. Structured questionnaires assessing knowledge, attitudes and self-care practices were administered to patients presenting for follow-up glaucoma management.Results: The median age of the 384 patients in this study was 60 (interquartile range [IQR] 48.5–69.5) and 59 years (IQR 49.0–66.5) for males and females, respectively (p &gt; 0.05). Two hundred and thirty-eight (62.0%) patients had good knowledge of glaucoma. Age, gender and duration of glaucoma diagnosis were significantly associated with good knowledge of glaucoma. Three hundred and forty-four (89.6%) patients reported having good self-care practices. Patients over the age of 65 years were significantly less likely to have good self-care practices compared to patients aged 26–45 years (odds ratio [OR]: 0.2, confidence interval [CI]: 0.1–0.6, p = 0.01). Good knowledge of glaucoma was significantly associated with good self-care practices of glaucoma (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Elderly patients do not have sufficient knowledge of glaucoma and have poor self-care glaucoma practices. It is important to involve family members of these patients in the education and counselling of glaucoma to facilitate improved disease management.

Impact of Mobile-Based Health Education on the Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma in Chinese Patients.

Introduction:Mobile devices have been rapidly integrated into clinical practice. The present study is to compare the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma in patients with and without access to mobile-based public health education.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey was performed on individuals without health education from the outpatient department, and individuals with mobile-based glaucoma education from WeChat® service account (WeChat, a social media service). The participants were subcategorized based on whether glaucoma was present. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information and glaucoma knowledge divided into 15 true-or-false questions. Each question was assigned two points if correct and zero if incorrect or unclear. Statistical analyses were used to analyze the differences and correlation of scores and influencing factors between each group.Results:A total of 1,459 valid questionnaires was obtained, including 585 individuals from outpatient department and 874 from WeChat. Patients with health education had higher rate of correctness for each of the 15 questions than those without. In the absence of the education group, glaucoma patients had a median score of 16 out of total 30 points, 8 points higher than among nonglaucoma patients (p < 0.001), whereas those with education attained a median score of 24 points, greater than those without (p < 0.001), regardless of whether they had glaucoma. These significances were still evident after adjustment for various potential confounding factors.Conclusions:Patients' awareness and knowledge level of glaucoma are limited, but significantly enhanced after educational intervention. Mobile-based education is essential to ameliorate public awareness of glaucoma.

Validity and Reliability of the Glaucoma Knowledge Level Questionnaire.

Objectives:The present study was conducted to develop an instrument for measuring adults’ glaucoma knowledge levels and to establish the instrument’s validity and reliability.Materials and Methods:The study group consisted of 811 persons aged 40-80 years who presented to primary health care institutions and did not have a glaucoma diagnosis. A 27-item questionnaire measuring level of glaucoma knowledge was created by the study team. Following expert consultation, it was structurally evaluated. The difficulty index and discrimination index were calculated for each item. Factor analysis was used to determine construct validity, Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient and item-total correlations were calculated to determine reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the extent to which the factor structure of the scale fit. We analysed correlation with the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Eye-Q scale in order to evaluate the validity of the scale.Results:The final glaucoma knowledge level questionnaire comprised 10 items in one dimension. The discrimination index and difficulty index ranged between 0.28 to 0.65 and 33 to 61%, respectively. According to factor analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin score was 0.760 and Bartlett’s test indicated p<0.001. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable scale fit and fit indices. Validity assessment revealed a positive correlation between the total score of the items of the NEHEP scale and glaucoma knowledge level questionnaire score (r=0.522; p<0.001). Scores were higher in participants who were aged 40-64, living in the city, had education level of high school or above and had previous eye examination or intraocular pressure measurement. Conclusion:The glaucoma knowledge level questionnaire has the distinction of being the first valid and reliable scale for assessing level of glaucoma knowledge in Turkey.