Awareness about glaucoma and related eye health attitudes in Switzerland: a survey of the general public

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_CC9AE87B5C91
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Awareness about glaucoma and related eye health attitudes in Switzerland: a survey of the general public
Journal
Ophthalmologica
Author(s)
Mansouri  K., Orgul  S., Meier-Gibbons  F., Mermoud  A.
ISSN
0030-3755 (Print)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2006
Volume
220
Number
2
Pages
101-8
Notes
Comparative Study
Journal Article
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of awareness about glaucoma and its consequences and to evaluate associated eye health attitudes in a randomly selected general urban and rural population in Switzerland. METHODS: A cluster random sample of the Swiss population was interviewed. Five-hundred and two telephone interviews with subjects who were representative of the 35- to 70-year-old population of the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland were conducted. Data were collected about their gender, age, educational status and professional situation. Study Type: Cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: In total, 76% (n = 383) of respondents did not have any (or any correct) association with the term 'glaucoma'. Only 24.7% (n = 123) of the interviewees could describe glaucoma as an eye condition. Awareness of glaucoma was independent of age, gender, educational status, and household income. Associated therapeutic measures were surgery (75%) and medical treatment (57%). Seventy-one percent of all respondents wear eyeglasses, 74% of all females and 67% of males. CONCLUSION: Awareness and knowledge about glaucoma are relatively low in the average Swiss population across all segments of society. The lack of awareness on this insidious disease has important implications for the uptake of ophthalmic care and may result in avoidable blindness. These data also show that the ophthalmologist is considered by the majority of people to be the primary contact for eye health-related information and sight corrections.
Keywords
Adult Aged *Attitude to Health *Awareness Cross-Sectional Studies Female Glaucoma, Open-Angle/epidemiology/*psychology Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Health Surveys Humans Male Middle Aged Patient Education *Population Surveillance Questionnaires Risk Factors Switzerland/epidemiology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
28/01/2008 13:50
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:47
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