AWARENESS OF GLAUCOMA AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO SCREENING AMONG OPHTHALMOLOGY OUTPATIENTS IN JODHPUR
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Keywords
Patient Awareness, Barriers to Screening, Glaucoma, Ophthalmology, Public Health.
Abstract
Background: As a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, glaucoma frequently advances silently until late in its disease course and represents an immense physical and psychological burden for patients. Early diagnosis through population-based screening is crucial; however, knowledge and participation in screening activities are often poor.
Objective: Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of glaucoma and perceived barriers to glaucoma screening among ophthalmology outpatients in Jodhpur, India.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 390 ophthalmology outpatients using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and the independent sample t-test.
Results: The majority of the participants were over 45 years (75.4%) and mostly urban dwellers (57.4%). Despite the fact that 98.2% were aware of glaucoma, only 21% had high awareness. The chi-square test indicated that the relationship between education and knowledge was significant, χ²(8, N = 390) = 250.70, p < 001, had a large effect size (Cramér’s V=0.40). An independent samples t-test revealed that those participants who had not received a screening examination perceived more barriers than their counterparts (t(388)=6.03, p<. 001, d=0.7). The major barriers were high cost of eye tests (55.4%), dread for diagnosis (17.7%) and no perceived need (11.3%).
Conclusion: Although glaucoma is well known, awareness is superficial, and attendance was poor for the screening. The level of education was strongly associated with awareness, and perceived barriers were very problematic, including both financial and psychological ones. Measures to address health literacy, lower economic barriers, and implement community-based eye screenings are crucial to reducing blindness in primary eyes.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Dr Shahab Mohammed Sayeed
Consultant Ophthalmologist, Jodhpur
Dr Sanah Ali Sayed
Senior Resident- Physiology, JIET Medical College, Jodhpur
