title: Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma in Central India: A Hospital-Based Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among people attending the ophthalmology outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in central India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based study was conducted, involving persons aged 18 and above attending the ophthalmology outpatient department from October 2014 to September 2015. Data on awareness and knowledge of glaucoma was collected through a face-to-face interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen hundred people participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 43 ± 15 years (range, 18-85). The study participants included 53% men and 47% women. Only 27% (n = 380/1400) of the participants were aware of glaucoma. Age, sex, and presence or type of refractive error had no impact on glaucoma awareness. Awareness level was greater in individuals with higher education levels and those belonging to an upper socioeconomic class (SEC). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significantly higher levels of glaucoma awareness among participants belonging to the upper 2 SECs (P = 0.05) and those educated above the high school level (P = 0.001). The most common source of awareness was close acquaintance with relatives, famly members, and friends of glaucoma patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of glaucoma in India is low. Lack of education and lower socioeconomic status are the major risk factors for late preentation of glaucoma. Continuous presence of a low level of awareness and the same factors accounting for it warrants the need for an aggressive and refined approach to increase awareness of glaucoma to prevent glaucoma-related blindness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopa, India.
authors.forename: Prafulla K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Maharana
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopa, India.
authors.forename: Vaishali G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopa, India.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pattebahadur
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpu, India.
authors.forename: Shipra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Ashish K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chauhan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001364:Awareness; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: awareness of glaucoma; glaucoma; prevention