Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate risk factors associated with lack of knowledge of glaucoma in an urban population.
Methods: :
A survey was administered to 397 participants in July 2004 at two primary care clinics and an eye care center in New Haven, CT. The survey had questions on socio–economic factors, general health, and knowledge of risk factors associated with glaucoma. The factors were correlated with lack of knowledge of glaucoma using chi squared and logistic regression analysis.
Results: :
Factors that independently predicted increased likelihood of lacking knowledge about glaucoma risk factors were as follows; being at a primary care location (p=0.0003, OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.471–3.750), not having a family history of glaucoma (p=0.0003, OR 3.4, CI 1.762–6.682), being an ethnic minority (p<0.0001, OR 2.6340, CI 1.652 – 4.198), not having been previously screened for glaucoma (p=0.0005, OR 2.115, 95% CI 1.386–3.228), not wearing prescription eyeglasses/contact lenses (p=0.013 OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.119–2.681), not having elevated eye pressures (p=0.032, OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.05–3.317), not having had an eye appointment in the past year (p=0.015, OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.119–2.85), and not having a history of glaucoma (p= 0.013, OR 3.1296, 95% CI 1.2199–8.0289). When adjusting for confounding variables in multivariate analysis, lack of knowledge for glaucoma was associated with the following; no family history of glaucoma (p=0.0003, OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.737–6.606), being an ethnic minority (p=0.012 , OR 2.3, CI 1.229–4.373), and being at a primary care center (p= 0.048, OR 1.9, CI 1.011–3.710). Participants less likely to know what glaucoma is were those without a family history of glaucoma (3.4 times), those belonging to an ethnic minority group (2.3 times), and those at a primary care center (1.9 times).
Conclusions: :
Various factors predispose patients to having no knowledge of risk factors associated with glaucoma. Our results suggest that attention to educating minority patients, those at primary care centers, and those without a family history of glaucoma may improve knowledge amongst these groups at high risk of lacking knowledge of glaucoma.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment