RESUMEN
Objective: Globally, diabetic eye disease [DED] remains a public eye health issue. Identifying patient-level factors associated with DED awareness is critical for its prevention and management. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associations of awareness of DED in a Nigerian hospital-based diabetic population
Design: Questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey
Setting: Diabetic clinic of the University of Nigerian Teaching Hospital [UNTH], Enugu from February to March 2012
Subjects: Adult outpatient diabetics aged 18 years or older
Intervention: Non-interventional
Main outcome measure: Awareness of diabetic eye disease
Results: The participants [n = 233; males = 105] were aged 59.3 +/- 13.5SD years [range: 24 - 99 years]. The majority were married [94%], had formal education [79.4%], traders [29.2%] and resided in urban areas [67%]. One hundred and eighty eight [80.4%] participants were aware that diabetes can affect the eyes and possibly cause blindness. Their main sources of awareness were clinic-based health talk [69.1%] and the doctor providing diabetic care [5.2%]. Current visual problem [odds ratio [OR]: 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18 - 0.83, p = 0.019] and previous dilated fundus examination [DFE] [OR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.31 - 5.53, p = 0.009] were the significant predictors of DED awareness
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of DED awareness among diabetics at UNTH, Enugu. Clinic-based health talk and physician-provided health education are the main sources of awareness. Current visual problem and previous DFE are the significant predictors of awareness of DED. Further enrichment and expansion of scope of nurse- and physician-provided hospital-based diabetes-related eye health education are warranted
RESUMEN
This study was designed to determine the rate and pattern of vitreo-retinal diseases at a tertiary eye care center in South-eastern Nigeria. The outpatient register at the Eye clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, was retrospectively examined to identify all new patients registered between January 2004 and December 2008. A chart review of subjects with vitreo-retinal disease was conducted to record relevant demographic and clinical data including the needs for vitreo-retinal care. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed. A P-value <0.001 [one degree of the needs of freedom] was considered statistically significant. Of the 8.239 new patients reported during the period, 326 subjects [males-59.3%; females- 40.7%; sex ratio= 1.1:1] aged 49.3 +/- 16.8 years [range 3-82 years] had vitreo-retinal disease. The rate of vitreo-retinal disease was 3.9%. The rate was higher in subjects above 40 years old [P<0.001], but did not differ between sexes [P=0.469]. Diabetic retinopathy [24.9%], hypertensive retinopathy [13.3%], and age-related macular degeneration [10.7%] were the leading vitreo-retinal diseases. Blindness from vitreo-retinal disease was bilateral in 6.1% of subjects and unilateral in 17.5% of subjects. The common co-morbidities were ocular conditions such as refractive error [19.8%], cataract [14.2%], and glaucoma [10.4%]; and systemic conditions such as diabetes mellitus [14.6%] and hypertension [13.2%]. The rate of vitreo-retinal diseases among new ophthalmic outpatients at UNTH, Enugu, is 3.9%. Retinal vascular disorders and age-related maculopathy are the leading retinal diseases. At UNTH, resource needs for vitreo-retinal care are urgent including retinal photography/angiography, laser photocoagulation, intra-vitreal pharmacotherapy, and vitreo-retinal surgery