Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
Determining the Level of Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy among the Adult Population in Chennai, India
Poster Number
89
Document Type
Poster
Status
Graduate Student - Masters
Abstract Category
Global Health
Keywords
Global Health, Community Health, Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetes, Awareness
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Preventable blindness is a global health issue. The major causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma, corneal scarring including trachoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading global cause of visual impairment and blindness. Longer diabetes duration and poorer glycemic and blood pressure control and strongly associated with diabetic retinopathy. India is called the “diabetes capital of the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are about 41 million people with diabetes and this number is expected to rise to about 70 million by 2025 unless preventive steps are taken. Studies have shown that for every 5-year increase in duration of diabetes, the risk for diabetic retinopathy increases by approximately 1.89-fold. In addition a 2% increase in HbA1c results in about 1.7-fold increase in risk for diabetic retinopathy. The purpose of this descriptive/exploratory study is to determine the level of awareness of diabetic retinopathy among a population of over 18 year olds who visit the Pranav Eye Clinic (and its outreach clinics) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (India). Pranav Eye Clinic has partnered with Unite for Sight, a United States-based global health non-profit organization, to reduce the prevalence of preventable blindness in India. The determination of awareness will be done through administering an anonymous survey to a sample (convenience sample). The aim of the study is not only to determine the general level of awareness but also based on gender, education level, and other demographics. Another aim is to determine level of awareness for people based on clinical factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and eye history. Data is gathered using an Excel spreadsheet during the study; univariate and bivariate analyses is conducted using SPSS. Based on the results of the surveys, it is seen that there is a positive association between diabetes and hypertension and more women had these chronic conditions than men. Approximately 92% of participants did not know what diabetic retinopathy was, and out of the percentage of people who did not know about diabetic retinopathy, over 50% had diabetes. These results are important because targeted interventions must be implemented in rural areas within India to educate the population about diabetic retinopathy and provide screening opportunities.
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Determining the Level of Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy among the Adult Population in Chennai, India
Preventable blindness is a global health issue. The major causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma, corneal scarring including trachoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading global cause of visual impairment and blindness. Longer diabetes duration and poorer glycemic and blood pressure control and strongly associated with diabetic retinopathy. India is called the “diabetes capital of the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are about 41 million people with diabetes and this number is expected to rise to about 70 million by 2025 unless preventive steps are taken. Studies have shown that for every 5-year increase in duration of diabetes, the risk for diabetic retinopathy increases by approximately 1.89-fold. In addition a 2% increase in HbA1c results in about 1.7-fold increase in risk for diabetic retinopathy. The purpose of this descriptive/exploratory study is to determine the level of awareness of diabetic retinopathy among a population of over 18 year olds who visit the Pranav Eye Clinic (and its outreach clinics) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (India). Pranav Eye Clinic has partnered with Unite for Sight, a United States-based global health non-profit organization, to reduce the prevalence of preventable blindness in India. The determination of awareness will be done through administering an anonymous survey to a sample (convenience sample). The aim of the study is not only to determine the general level of awareness but also based on gender, education level, and other demographics. Another aim is to determine level of awareness for people based on clinical factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and eye history. Data is gathered using an Excel spreadsheet during the study; univariate and bivariate analyses is conducted using SPSS. Based on the results of the surveys, it is seen that there is a positive association between diabetes and hypertension and more women had these chronic conditions than men. Approximately 92% of participants did not know what diabetic retinopathy was, and out of the percentage of people who did not know about diabetic retinopathy, over 50% had diabetes. These results are important because targeted interventions must be implemented in rural areas within India to educate the population about diabetic retinopathy and provide screening opportunities.