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Background: Glaucoma is associated with visual field loss for which elevated intraocular pressure is the primary risk factor. Proper medication adherence requires daily intake of prescribed medication for a lifetime. Non-adherence patients are at greater risk of poor outcome than adherent patients.Aim: To identify behavioural determinants contributing to loss to follow-up amongst glaucoma patients.Setting: The study was conducted in selected hospitals of South Africa.Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on glaucoma patients with age ranging from 18 years and above. Quantitative methods were used to collect data from purposefully selected glaucoma patients. Structured questionnaires were distributed to collect data from patients attending glaucoma clinics. The patients should have missed an appointment review at least once during the 12-month period.Results: Amongst the 429 glaucoma patients interviewed, the majority (79%, n = 341) of the patients missed their follow-up more than once during the 12-month period. The most cited contributory barriers to poor follow-up were accessibility (26%) followed by lack of escort and financial cost at 22% and 21%, respectively. About 115 of the 429 study respondents were found to be non-adherent. The main reasons given were shortage of medication and forgetfulness at 36% and 29%, respectively.Conclusion: Accessibility and lack of escort were significant barriers to loss to follow-up. Identifying the predictors of poor follow-up can help in improving follow-up care. Therefore, patient education and support may improve adherence to glaucoma therapy.

Background: Many factors influence glaucoma medication adherence. A better understanding of the relationships between knowledge, attitude and patients’ practice problems in using glaucoma medications may reveal opportunities for intervention that could improve patients’ clinical outcomes. The challenge of non-adherence to glaucoma follow-up and treatment plans remains a significant global healthcare concern. Non-adherence to medication is a challenge to effective treatment of many chronic diseases, including glaucoma and remains so even with the implementation of strategies aimed at improving adherence. In South Africa, the information-motivation and behavioural skills model (IMBSM) of glaucoma adherence constructs might be useful in describing and predicting adherence behaviours that have not been articulated to people with glaucoma.Aim: The study applied the IMBSM in strengthening eye care follow-up amongst glaucoma patients in the Limpopo province of South Africa.Setting: The study was conducted at a selected hospital in the Vhembe District, Limpopo province, South Africa.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study via questionnaire was conducted on patients who were taking intraocular pressure-lowering medications and subject to follow up at a glaucoma clinic. A total of 429 eligible patients were purposefully selected for data collection using structured questionnaires. Oral informed consent was obtained from all respondents before they completed the questionnaires.Results: Only 55% of the total sample reported a glaucoma non-adherence rate of less than or equal to 95% compared with 45% who reported glaucoma adherence rate of more than or equal to 95%. Independent predictors of non-adherence were: inadequate glaucoma knowledge (29%), forgetfulness (26%) and patients’ beliefs (18%).Conclusion: The findings revealed the need for on-going glaucoma educational and informational interventions to address the motivation and adherence behavioural skills of patients to strengthen the current levels of glaucoma adherence behaviour. These findings suggest that the application of the IMBSM might improve glaucoma patients’ adherence.

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Introduction:Condoms safeguard against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among all age groups. The HIV transmission rate increases when condoms are not used properly. The purpose of this study was to determine knowledge of condom use amongst high school students. A cross-sectional study was conducted on high school students to assess their knowledge of condom use. A total of 346 eligible learners from various high schools in Shamavunga circuit of Limpopo were selected from grades 10-12 through systematic random sampling. Material and methods:Grade 12 students were comprised the majority of participants (37.3%, n = 129), followed by grade 11 at 35% and grade 10 at 27.7%. The group included more females than males.Results: A total of 307 (88.7%) students indicated that they had knowledge about the protection that condoms provide against HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), STIs, and pregnancy, whereas 39 (11.3%) students indicated insufficient knowledge. Furthermore, 91.3% of the learners reported that condoms cannot be used repeatedly, and 52% knew that condoms are available at no cost from clinics and hospital. Conclusions:The study found knowledge of condom use among high school students was evident, although some knowledge deficiencies were also noted including unrolling a condom before putting on the penis and using a condom with oil-based lubricant. Therefore, specific educational programmes such as life orientation are recommended to increase knowledge. Furthermore, high school students should be encouraged to make use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.