Diabetic retinopathy awareness in urban and rural population: A structured interview

Abstract

Diabetes has been termed one of the largest health emergencies of the 21 st century. The Diabetic Retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness that affects 34 million worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy is caused when high blood sugar damages blood vessels in the retina. Damaged blood vessels can swell & leak, causing blurry vision or stopping blood flow. Sometimes new blood vessels grow but they are not normal and can cause further vision problems. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. The blindness as a result of diabetic retinopathy can be prevented by early detection and management. For this, patients need to be screened as per guidelines recommended by International Diabetes Federation. Patient awareness to Diabetic retinopathy is the key to early detection, prevention and further improvements in Diabetic retinopathy management as patients play an important role in their glycemic control and eye care. Managing diabetes by patient himself and getting regular eye examinations can help prevent vision problem and stop them from getting worse. The primary goal of this study is to assess the awareness about diabetic retinopathy in Indian urban and rural population. The present study was conducted on 451 subjects out of which 62.08% and 47.67% had knowledge of diabetes and Diabetic retinopathy respectively. Knowledge about Diabetes mellitus & Diabetic retinopathy was more in urban population as compared to rural. Compared with those who had no knowledge of Diabetic retinopathy, significant percentage of individuals with knowledge had the right attitude to go for regular eye examination and good practices for control of the disease.