Awareness and knowledge of cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy among outpatients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Public understanding of eye diseases is crucial in preventing avoidable blindness. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (DR), identify common sources of eye health information and examine the association between the sociodemographic factors and the level of awareness and knowledge. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in clinics in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Of 500 participants approached in the various clinics, 404 completed the questionnaires (response rate: 80.8%). Outpatients were recruited using consecutive convenience sampling. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The association between sociodemographic factors and the levels of awareness and knowledge of cataract, glaucoma and DR was assessed using the χ² test. Pearson's correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to determine the relationships and differences in awareness and knowledge of the eye disorders across the various clinics. Results: The awareness of cataracts (83.4%) and glaucoma (64.4%) was significantly higher than DR (48.3%). Awareness of DR was the lowest, with only 30.4% recognising its link to diabetes. Family members were the most frequently cited source of information. Significant associations (p<0.05 for all comparisons) were seen between awareness and knowledge of the eye disorders with clinics attended (cataract: p=0.003, OR=1.45; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.88, glaucoma: p=0.005, OR=1.38; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.73, DR: p=0.001, OR=1.52; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.92). A positive association existed between educational level and cataract (p=0.012, OR=1.29, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.57) and DR with occupation (p=0.009, OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.66). Correlation Analysis showed a positive relationship between awareness and knowledge of cataract and glaucoma (r (404)=0.533, p=0.005); a weak relationship was seen between cataract and DR (r (404)=0.405, p<0.001); glaucoma and DR (r (404)=0.333, p<0.001). Regression analysis indicated that age (OR=2.36, 95% CI 1.08 to 5.18, p=0.032) and clinic (OR=5.25, 95% CI 1.90 to 14.53, p=0.001) were significantly associated with levels of awareness and knowledge of eye diseases. Conclusions: Significant gaps exist in public awareness and knowledge of major eye diseases, most notably for DR, which has the lowest recognition of its link to diabetes. Given that family members are the primary source of information, targeted health campaigns using social networks are essential. Educational level, employment status and clinic attendance are key determinants of awareness and should be leveraged to inform highly specific, evidence-based public health interventions in the Lagos State population to promote early diagnosis and reduce avoidable blindness.