[Acceptance of own disease by patients with diagnosed glaucoma].
The notion of glaucoma comprises a number of diseases which are all characterized by optic nerve damage. It was estimated that nearly 70 million people all over the world suffer from glaucoma and 10% of them have lost their sight because of glaucomatous optic nerve atrophy. The aim of this paper is to determine the acceptance level of the condition by patients with primary glaucoma as well as to study the relations between the acceptance level and the parameters influencing it directly or indirectly.


METHODS
The study included 50 patients (40 women and 10 men) aged between 20 and 90 with recognized primary open-angle glaucoma. A questionnaire and a standardized Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) were used to evaluate the study material. The observed differences and relation levels were subjected to statistical analysis with the use of the Student's t test as well as the chi2 test, and the statistical significance level was established at p < 0.05.


RESULTS
Within the studied group, people between the ages of 61 and 70 (38%), with secondary education (48%), were the most numerous. The most frequent therapeutic method was local treatment (application of eye drops). Prescribed medication was taken on a regular basis by 86% of patients, lack of regularity was declared by 14% of them. The 26% of patients realize their duties less accurately than before and 12% of them declared the need of frequent breaks in their work. The analysis showed a statistically significant relation (p = 0.0005) between the acceptance level of the condition and refraining from various forms of activity. The low acceptance of patients' illness determined the increase of they resignation from all forms of physical activity.


CONCLUSIONS
The consecutive degrees of disease acceptance (low, medium, high) are comprised in glaucoma patients in the same proportion, i.e. each degree comprises around 30% of patients the most serious problems accepting the illness. This means that the tolerance of the disease is observed in 1/3 of patients with glaucoma. The most serious problems in disease acceptance were determined in elderly people and those with elementary or vocational education.
Karna-Matyjaszek
Urszula
U
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku, Klinika Okulistyki.
Sierzantowicz
Regina
R
Mariak
Zofia
Z
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult