Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy among Diabetic Patients

Objective: To determine awareness of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Methods: After the ethical approval from the institutional review board, this cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Ophthalmology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 18th June 2020 to 17th December 2020. Through non-probability consecutive sampling, 345 patients aged 18 – 65 yrs., of either gender, presenting to the diabetic clinic with Diabetes were selected. Results: The study included 345 diabetic patients, with a mean age of 55.61 ± 13.39 years. The majority of participants (87%) were between 41-65 years of age, while 13% were aged 18-40 years. The gender distribution was relatively balanced, with 48% male (n=166) and 52% female (n=179). The mean duration of diabetes among the participants was 10.33 ± 7.13 years, with 59% (n=204) having lived with the disease for 10 years or less, and 41% (n=141) for more than 10 years. The overall frequency of awareness of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among diabetic patients was 50.43% (n=174). Conclusion: Awareness and knowledge about DR were unsatisfactory; however, literacy played an indispensable role.