Knowledge and Awareness of Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy among Patients Seeking Eye Care Services in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea

Purpose. To assess the knowledge and awareness of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy among ophthalmic patients in Madang. Materials and Methods. This was a hospital-based study conducted at Madang Provincial Hospital Eye Clinic in Papua New Guinea. The study included all patients who visited the faci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ophthalmology 2022-06, Vol.2022, p.7674928-10
Main Authors: Owusu-Afriyie, Bismark, Caleb, Anne, Kube, Lorraine, Gende, Theresa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Blindness
Diabetes
Diabetes therapy
Diabetic retinopathy
Education
Eyes & eyesight
Gender
Health aspects
Hospitals
Knowledge
Males
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Patients
Questionnaires
Surveys
Visual impairment
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Summary:Purpose. To assess the knowledge and awareness of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy among ophthalmic patients in Madang. Materials and Methods. This was a hospital-based study conducted at Madang Provincial Hospital Eye Clinic in Papua New Guinea. The study included all patients who visited the facility during the period of the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the patients’ demographics and their knowledge and awareness about diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Results. A total of 203 (97.6%) patients consented and participated in the study out of 208 patients who were approached. The age of participants ranged from 19 to 78 years with a median (IQR) of 41 (53–29) years. 107 (52.7%) were female participants. A majority of the participants (62.6%) had at least secondary education. A few of the participants (3.9%) had known diabetes, and 134 (66%) had no relatives or friends with diabetes. A total of 145 (71.4%) participants knew that diabetes can affect the eye. Most of the participants (93.6%) checked their eyes only when their vision was affected, 161 (79.3%) agreed that regular eye checks are necessary, and more than half (54.2%) knew that diabetes can lead to blindness. Age, gender, level of education, and whether a participant or participant’s friends and relatives had been diagnosed with diabetes were significantly associated with the knowledge and awareness of participants about diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion. A majority of the participants had good knowledge of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Health education and promotion will also help increase the awareness of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in the country.
ISSN:2090-004X
2090-0058
DOI:10.1155/2022/7674928