Knowledge, attitude and practice of Diabetic Retinopathy among type II diabetic patients of South Indian population

ABSTRACT:
Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) can be characterized as a metabolic disorder, which results in the
increase of blood sugar level in the body which might lead to macrovascular and microvascular complication. It
is a non- communicable disease. Diabetes Mellitus has also become a major concern in public health and also
has imposed an economic burden on the society.
Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of Diabetic Retinopathy in patients
with Diabetes Mellitus of the south Indian population.
Materials and Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus admitted in a tertiary care
government hospital located in Chennai was included in this study. A questionnaire (Bandar Krayem Al Zarea et
al) was provided to the patient to analyze their knowledge, attitude and practices about Diabetic Retinopathy
among patients diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus. The data collected were coded and entered into SPSS
(Statistical Package for the Social Science) version 20 and statistical analysis was done.
Result: This study incorporated 230 diabetic individuals out of which 112 (48.7%) were male patients and 118
(51.3%) were females. The majority of the diabetic patients 146 (63.5%) were aware that Diabetes can cause eye
disorders, 127 (55.2%) of patients replied that diabetic individuals should go for regular eye checkups and 141
(61.3%) of patients were aware that they should visit an ophthalmologist in the event of eye problem. Out of 230
diabetic 174 patients 174 (75.7%) were aware that timely treatment can prevent or delay damage of eyes in
diabetic patients and about 82% of all the participants went for regular ocular examinations.
Conclusion: The majority of the patient diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus had knowledge about Diabetes can
cause eye disease and it is essential for all patients diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus to take the regular ocular
examination.