Assessment of Diabetic Patients’ Knowledge of Diabetic Eye Complications at Selected Health Facilities in the Tema Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease caused by inherited and/or acquired deficiency in production of insulin by the pancreas, or by the ineffectiveness of the insulin produced. Diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly in the middle- and low-income countries. The leading causes of blindness secondary to diabetes are diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Awareness and understanding of diabetes and its eye complications is a reliable factor that informs patients’ attitude towards adhering to management regimen and regular eye examination. Aim: To assess the knowledge level of diabetic patients on diabetes and its eye complications in selected health facilities within the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Materials and Methods: A cross‑ sectional survey was carried out between January and May, 2020 in the Tema Metropolis. A total of 422 pretested structured questionnaires were systematically administered to interview diabetic patients at Tema General Hospital, Tema Polyclinic and Manhean Health Centre. Data was collected on respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of diabetic status, knowledge of diabetic eye disease and referral rate for eye examinations. Univariate analysis was applied to establish the frequency and percentage distributions of the responses. Chi-square (χ2) and Fisher’s exact tests were employed to determine the factors associations. Regression analysis was used to predict the strength of the associations. The threshold for statistical significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A few (3.86%) of diabetic patients did not know that they were diabetic. Knowledge on diabetic ocular complications was low, and only 77 (18.60%) of the patients knew two or more of the ocular complications of diabetes. Knowledge of diabetic ocular complications was significantly associated with age group (p=0.019), educational level (p<0.001), marital status (p=0.002), occupation (p=0.001), ethnicity (p=0.030), income level (p<0.001) and residence (p=0.008). Majority of the interviewees (63.04%) had a history of an eye examination. Only 57.33% of them were referred for the eye examination by the doctor managing diabetes. Conclusion: Knowledge of diabetic eye complications is low among diabetic patients. Most of the referrals for eye exams are done by their physicians managing diabetes. Policies by the government are required to decrease the incidence of diabetes. Also, healthcare authorities are also required to intensify the education on diabetic eye complications and early referral for an eye examination.