Patient perspectives on glaucoma awareness and knowledge in western India

Dear Editor, Glaucoma remains a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) being the most common type.[1] Its insidious and asymptomatic course frequently results in delayed diagnosis, when optic nerve damage is already advanced.[2] Therefore, awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among patients are vital to ensure early detection, compliance with therapy, and preservation of vision. We conducted a cross-sectional study at a tertiary eye care center in western India from January 2016 to January 2020 to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of POAG. A total of 1620 patients, all aged 40 years and above, were enrolled. A semi-structured, validated questionnaire was used [Appendix ‘A’]. The entry question assessed prior awareness of glaucoma, followed by four questions evaluating awareness and six assessing knowledge. Responses were classified as poor (<50%), fair (50–75%), or good (>75%). The overall awareness and knowledge in our cohort were fair, with 58% of participants correctly answering between 50% and 75% of questions. No significant association was found between age or gender and awareness or knowledge (P > 0.05) [Table 1]. However, education showed a strong association (P < 0.05), with participants who were graduates and above demonstrating higher levels of both awareness and knowledge [Table 1].Table 1: Association of demographic factors with awareness and knowledge of glaucoma (n=1620)These findings reaffirm that education is a critical determinant of health literacy in glaucoma.[3–5] Targeted educational materials, designed in layman’s language and tailored to lower educational groups, could bridge this gap. Furthermore, integrating awareness campaigns into community outreach and family screening programs may promote early detection and improve compliance. In conclusion, enhancing glaucoma literacy—especially among individuals with lower education levels—remains a key strategy to reduce glaucoma-related blindness in India. Author contribution All authors fulfil the icjme authorship criteria Dr Sumedha Vats- Concept, analysis, editing Prof (Dr) Sanjay Kumar Mishra- Concept Dr Anchal Tripathi- Concept, data analysis, drafting.