TITLE:
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Diabetic Eye Disease among General Population in Medina City, Saudi Arabia
AUTHORS:
Hanan Mustafa Makhdoum, Fai Anas Mahrous, Esraa Khalaf Alshareef, Reenad Saeid Ghunaim, Areej Osama Abukhodair, Mona Abdulaziz Alburkani
KEYWORDS:
Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, Diabetes Mellitus, Eye Disease
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ophthalmology,
Vol.14 No.1,
February
19,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Diabetic eye disease is known as a group of eye problems
that diabetic patients may develop as a complication of diabetes and can lead to
blindness. They may include Diabetic retinopathy (DR), Cataracts, and Glaucoma. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices
(KAP) around diabetic eye disease in the general population including patients with
DM and non-diabetic people in Medina City, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional
study involving 385 participants via a self-administered online Questionnaire started
in January 2023 in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Results: In
total, 339 participants with ages ranged from 18 to more than 60 years with a mean age of 26.8 ± 12.6
years old completed the questionnaire. The majority were females (74.6%), singles
(67.8%), and had a university level of education (54.6%). Most of the study participants
were found to have poor knowledge levels (67%) in comparison to 33% who had an overall
good knowledge of diabetic eye diseases. Knowledge level was found to be higher
among old-aged participants and those with a family history of DM (P = 0.001, P = 0.049) respectively.
Regarding participants’ attitudes and practices, the study showed good attitudes toward eye care practice for diabetics with half of the
participants (50%) reporting self-awareness as a reason that made them undergo the
first eye screening. Conclusion: Participants in the present study have poor knowledge and awareness level
of diabetic eye disease. Furthermore, positive attitudes and perceptions have been
revealed by the participants toward the practice of providing eye care for diabetics.