Eye disease knowledge and awareness among Iranian population: The Gilan Eye Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the public knowledge regarding cataract, glaucoma, refractive error, and diabetic retinopathy among Iranian population living in Gilan province. This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 2588 individuals aged over 50, living in both urban and rural districts of Gilan. All participants were interviewed to determine their knowledge regarding the mentioned eye diseases. Their source of knowledge was determined whether health care professionals, family or relatives, social media, or publications. Socioeconomic status (SES) of participants was calculated based on the principal component analysis. The presenting visual acuity of all study participants was assessed by a trained optometrist. In this study, total knowledge of cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors and diabetic retinopathy was 52.1%, 2.5%, 15.1%, and 29.7%, respectively. A lower cataract knowledge was found in participants with low (odds ratio [OR] = 0.44; p = .02) and moderate SES (OR = 0.56, p = .02). We also lower knowledge of glaucoma among low (OR = 0.33; p < .001) and moderate SES group (OR = 0.48, p = .002). A higher level of knowledge about refractive error was observed in participants with normal vision (OR = 4.89; p = .011) and mild/moderate visual impairment (OR = 3.69; p = .046). Participants without a history of diabetes mellitus had less knowledge about diabetic retinopathy (DR) (OR = 0.56; p < .001), while those with more than 12 years of education had higher knowledge about DR. In conclusion, lower level of the knowledge was identified among individuals with lower levels of SES and education, while participants with better vision could be benefit from the high levels of knowledge.