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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Related to Glaucoma in a Rural Population of Eastern India: A Cross-sectional Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background and objectives: Early diagnosis of glaucoma is one of the most crucial strategies to tackle the huge burden of glaucoma and associated blindness. Early diagnosis, though, will not cure the disease but prevent the progression of glaucoma, leading to a reduction in ocular morbidity. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of the population with knowledge of glaucoma and their attitude and practices related to the disease. Materials and methods: We conducted this community-based cross-sectional study in Mendhasala, a rural block of Odisha, a state in eastern India. We chose two of the five sectors in the block using simple random sampling. We employed a 30 × 30 cluster sampling method, selecting 30 participants from each village. Households with at least one member over 18 were identified using systematic random sampling. The data were collected using a prestructured and validated questionnaire and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2021. Results: We gathered data from 899 participants, containing sociodemographic information and information about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning glaucoma. The mean age of the participants was 45.7 years (SD 14.43), with an almost equal number of males and females. Only 4.23% (95% CI: 3.01%-5.8%) had ever heard of glaucoma, of whom three were unaware of the eye changes associated with the condition. Education and employment status were significant predictors of knowledge related to glaucoma. Conclusion: Health education campaigns should be reinforced at the community level to increase the knowledge related to glaucoma. This may increase the care-seeking attitude towards glaucoma in the community. How to cite this article: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Related to Glaucoma in a Rural Population of Eastern India: A Cross-sectional Study. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2025;19(3):119-124.

Source: JOURNAL OF CURRENT GLAUCOMA PRACTICE

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10078-1476