title: Factors Associated with Awareness, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Common Eye Diseases in the General Population in a Rural District in Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Population-based Diabetes and Eye Study (BPDES).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the awareness, attitudes, and practices associated with common eye diseases and eye care utilization in a rural district of Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected using a multilevel cluster random sampling technique from 3104 adults aged ≥30 years from the Banshgram union with a questionnaire assessing the awareness, attitudes and practice about diabetes and common eye diseases, educational attainment, socio-economic status, and medical history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were aged between 30 and 89 years with a mean (SD) age of 51 (12) years and 65% were female. The majority of participants had heard of cataracts (90%), trachoma (86%) and Pterygium (84%), yet only 4% had heard of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 7% of glaucoma and 8% of Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, 58% of participants did not know vision loss could be prevented. Factors associated with lower awareness regarding common eye diseases were increasing age, lack of formal schooling, and lower socio-economic status. A lower proportion (57%) of people with no schooling compared to those who had attained at least secondary school certificate education (72%) reported that they knew that vision loss could be prevented (p<0.001). Overall 51% of people had heard of at least six (67%) out of nine items relating to awareness of common eye diseases. This included 41% of participants aged 65 years or older compared to 61% of those aged 30-35 years (p<0.001). Only 4% had an eye check at least once a year and higher education and better SES were associated with higher frequency of eye checks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In rural Bangladesh awareness of cataract, trachoma and pterygium was good but limited in relation to the potentially blinding conditions of glaucoma, DR, and AMD. The results show a large gap between public awareness and treatment practices about common eye diseases. Public health promotion should be designed to address these knowledge gaps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; Organisation for Rural Community Development, Dariapur, Narail, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Fakir M Amirul
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Organisation for Rural Community Development, Dariapur, Narail, Bangladesh; Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.affiliation: Organisation for Rural Community Development, Dariapur, Narail, Bangladesh; School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Silvia Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Critchley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012423:Rural Health / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education; D012424:Rural Population