Diabetic patients' awareness of diabetic retinopathy symptoms and complications

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a very common chronic endocrinological disease. A total of 8.8% of the adult population worldwide was diabetics. Diabetic retinopathy is a silent disease, early detection and intervention is essential for its management and prognosis. Aim: To assess the diabetic patients’ awareness of diabetic retinopathy symptoms and complications. Methods: This is a cross-sectional community-based study which was conducted in Saudi Arabia using a survey from the period between June and September 2018 on all diabetic Saudi participants between 15 and 75 years of age. Results: This study involved 385 participants. The average age of the participants was 47.82 ± 14.49. The study only involved patients who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellites (DM) or 2 DM. And 81% of the samples were diagnosed with type 2 DM. A total of 311 participants were aware of the DM effect on the eye. There was a significant difference between gender regarding the effect of DM on the retina in good control patients. On the subject of the source of participants’ knowledge of DM and its complication, there was a notable difference between groups. Conclusion: An acceptable level of knowledgewas noted among patients. However, some points of knowledge should be increased.

Awareness of diabetic retinopathy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Qassim, Saudi Arabia

“…[ 4 ] In our study, 86% of patients were aware of the relationship between retinopathy and DM, and this percentage is comparable to (83.9%) reported in studies carried out in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah) as well as in studies conducted locally and globally. [ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ] Furthermore, compared to the level of awareness reported in studies in other countries such as China (36.6%) and India (37.1%), our study showed a much higher awareness level. [ 14 15 ] However, using different measurements and standards to assess the knowledge about DR makes the comparison between the results of these various studies difficult.…”

Diabetic Retinopathy and Eye Screening: Diabetic Patients Standpoint, Their Practice, and Barriers; A Cross-Sectional Study

“…When addressing the most reported sources of information, physicians were the providers for 33.9% of participants, followed by family and friends for 24.1%, and the internet and social media for 18.4%, while 23.6% had no source of information. These results are consistent with a previous study conducted in Saudi Arabia which revealed that the most reported source was a physician (44.9%), followed by family and the media by 21.6% and 17.9% of people, respectively [ 19 ]. These results indicate the need for a more creative means to deliver information about DM and DR in a faster and more feasible way to the patients, such as via the traditional media, social media, and social campaigns.…”

Educational needs of people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their parents: A cross‐sectional study

“…By specific topics, in complication management, educational needs were the highest for symptoms and prevention of diabetic retinopathy (DR), followed by complication types, regular check‐up, peripheral arterial complication and nephropathy. This suggests that despite being aware of the possibility of developing DR (Abdulaal et al, 2019 ), most patients and families still need education about specific symptoms and preventive measures. The global prevalence of DR is 36%–94%, and although it affects both T1DM and T2DM, it is more prevalent among patients with T1DM (Lee et al, 2015 ).…”