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ABSTRACT: Background
To assess the awareness, attitudes, and practices associated with common eye diseases and eye care utilization in a rural district of Bangladesh.Methods
Data were collected using a multilevel cluster random sampling technique from 3104 adults aged ?30 years from the Banshgram union with a questionnaire assessing the awareness, attitudes and practice about diabetes and common eye diseases, educational attainment, socio-economic status, and medical history.Results
Participants were aged between 30 and 89 years with a mean (SD) age of 51 (12) years and 65% were female. The majority of participants had heard of cataracts (90%), trachoma (86%) and Pterygium (84%), yet only 4% had heard of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 7% of glaucoma and 8% of Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, 58% of participants did not know vision loss could be prevented. Factors associated with lower awareness regarding common eye diseases were increasing age, lack of formal schooling, and lower socio-economic status. A lower proportion (57%) of people with no schooling compared to those who had attained at least secondary school certificate education (72%) reported that they knew that vision loss could be prevented (p<0.001). Overall 51% of people had heard of at least six (67%) out of nine items relating to awareness of common eye diseases. This included 41% of participants aged 65 years or older compared to 61% of those aged 30-35 years (p<0.001). Only 4% had an eye check at least once a year and higher education and better SES were associated with higher frequency of eye checks.Conclusions
In rural Bangladesh awareness of cataract, trachoma and pterygium was good but limited in relation to the potentially blinding conditions of glaucoma, DR, and AMD. The results show a large gap between public awareness and treatment practices about common eye diseases. Public health promotion should be designed to address these knowledge gaps.
SUBMITTER: Islam FM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4511641 | biostudies-literature | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Islam Fakir M Amirul FM Chakrabarti Rahul R Islam Silvia Z SZ Finger Robert P RP Critchley Christine C
PloS one 20150722 7
<h4>Background</h4>To assess the awareness, attitudes, and practices associated with common eye diseases and eye care utilization in a rural district of Bangladesh.<h4>Methods</h4>Data were collected using a multilevel cluster random sampling technique from 3104 adults aged ≥30 years from the Banshgram union with a questionnaire assessing the awareness, attitudes and practice about diabetes and common eye diseases, educational attainment, socio-economic status, and medical history.<h4>Results</h ...[more]