Effect of Educational Sessions about Prevention of Retinopathy on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Background: Retinopathy is a devastating consequence of diabetes that is one of the main causes of blindness globally. As a result, it's critical to raise patient awareness of retinopathy prevention and the significance of regular follow-up. Aim: To evaluate the effect of educational sessions about prevention of retinopathy on knowledge, attitude and practice of diabetic patients. Study design: This study was designed as a quasi-experimental. Sampling: The study subjects comprised of 120 diabetic patients who were at the medical outpatient clinics by using a purposive sampling technique. Tools: Four tools were developed by the researcher for collecting the data of this study as the following: tool one was a structured interviewed questionnaire that assessed patients' sociodemographic data, medical & family history. Knowledge assessment structured interview questionnaire was the second tool. Self-reported practices sheet was the third tool. Attitude Likert scale about prevention of retinopathy was the fourth tool. Results: This study revealed that, 41.5 percent of the patients were between the ages of 40 and 50. In the pre-test, patients had limited awareness about diabetic retinopathy, but this improved following the educational sessions. Diabetic patients' practice and attitude improved significantly after attending the health education sessions. Conclusion: Diabetic patients who attend the retinopathy prevention exhibited greater knowledge, improved practice and showed higher positive attitude scores compared to before attending the sessions. Recommendation: Health education sessions raise diabetic patient's awareness regarding retinopathy prevention by approaching camping in rural and urban areas.