Purpose
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a growing problem in Singapore with the ageing population and increasing life-expectancy. This study aims to find out the knowledge and awareness of this condition among those who were previously diagnosed with AMD, seen in a tertiary referral centre.
Methods
Patients from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) eye clinic who were previously diagnosed with AMD were recruited for this study. Demographics details such as age, gender and race, as well as highest level of education were collected. A cross-sectional, weighted, questionnaire-based survey was then conducted. Standardized and structured questions were read out to each subject. The questionnaire comprises of two parts - the first part explores the knowledge in using an amsler grid; the second part explores the awareness and knowledge of nutritional supplements that slows down the progression of AMD. Statistical analysis was then carried out with the data collected.
Results
We recruited 33 subjects from TTSH eye clinic. Ages ranged from 50 to 88 (median 72.0) years, 22 (66.7%) were male and 11 were female (33.3%). Education level of the subjects varied from no formal education (18.2%), Primary (27.3%), Secondary (42.4%) to Tertiary (12.1%). The questionnaire was scored upon 21. The mean score was 8.36 with a standard deviation of 4.43. There was a positive correlation between education level and questionnaire score, a negative correlation between age and the questionnaire score, and a negative correlation between age and education level. There was no significant difference in the scores for males and females.
Conclusions
The knowledge on AMD among patients in TTSH is poor as evident by the low questionnaire scores, especially among the older and less educated population. Greater emphasis should be place on educating AMD patients on their condition. A larger sample size will be needed to confirm this preliminary finding.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration