Introduction: Globally, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity is rapidly increasing. DM and, consequently, diabetic retinopathy (DR) are serious issues that all countries around the world are facing. This study originated from a need to assess whether diabetic patients at the Outpatient Department at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein have knowledge about their disease and are aware of the possible ocular complications.Methods: A descriptive study on a single group of participants was conducted at the Outpatient Department at National District Hospital in Bloemfontein. Non-random judgemental sampling was used to select participants who were diagnosed with diabetes. All participants were above the age of 18 and gave signed consent after reading through the information document provided.Results: The participants (n = 70) were mainly women (72%) and elderly (> 40 years). Age groups represented were 40 years (7.1%), 40–49 years (12.9%), 50–59 years (32.9%), 60–69 years (28.6%) and ≥ 70 years (18.56%). Almost 82% of the participants were aware that DM can cause blindness and 85.7% were aware of cataracts as a possible complication of DM. Almost half (47.1%) were not aware that DM can cause DR and more than half (52.9%) were unaware that DM can cause increased intraocular pressure (IOP).Conclusion: These results highlight the need for further education of diabetic patients regarding the relationship between DM and the ocular complications.
Background: The use of learning styles to guide an educational method is becoming increasingly important, with it contributing to the effectiveness of a learning environment. This study addresses the concept of learning styles with reference to students of the Department of Optometry at the University of the Free State, South Africa -a topic that previously has not received much attention. Aim:The aim of this study was to identify the learning styles of optometry students as described by Kolb. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) was completed by the undergraduate students of the Optometry Department, in order to create a better understanding of how students perceive and process learning and to enhance the learning environment accordingly.Setting: This study was conducted in the Optometry Department at the University of the Free State.Methods: Undergraduate optometry students (N = 106) who were registered for the 2014 academic year and agreed to participate in the study completed Kolb's LSI to determine their learning styles. Descriptive statistics for categorical data and medians and percentiles for numerical data were calculated.Results: A response rate of 94.6% was achieved, with female students representing the majority (72.6%). The converger learning style was identified as the most preferred learning style among most students, followed by the assimilator, accommodator and diverger learning styles. Conclusion:Knowledge of Kolb's learning styles created a better understanding of how students learn, which will benefit the facilitator as well as the students. It is recommended that to enhance the learning environment, curriculum delivery and education methods, the learning styles of students should be kept in mind.
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