Prevalence of glaucoma among patients attending eye care services in Jinja regional referral hospital. A cross-sectional study.

*Simon Peter  Mugerwa; Norman                                            Ndikuno

doi:10.51168/fh0hm349

Authors

Simon Peter Mugerwa Ophthalmic Clinical Officer's Training School, Jinja. Author
Norman Ndikuno Ophthalmic Clinical Officer's Training School, Jinja. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/fh0hm349

Keywords:

Glaucoma, Eye Care Services, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital.

Abstract

Background:

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, often progressing without symptoms until significant vision loss has occurred. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of glaucoma among patients attending eye care at Jinja regional referral hospital.

Methodology:

It was a descriptive cross-sectional study design with data collected from 60 patients through self-administered questionnaires, and participants were selected by a simple random sampling method.

Results:

The results showed that the prevalence of glaucoma was highest among individuals aged over 60 years (51.7%), with a majority of cases occurring in males (65%). The findings also revealed an inverse relationship between socioeconomic status and glaucoma prevalence, with a higher prevalence observed among low-income individuals (68.3%). Additionally, a large proportion of respondents had limited education, with 18.3% having never attended school and 48.3% having completed only primary education. Furthermore, a significant number of glaucoma patients had underlying health conditions, particularly hypertension (43.3%) and diabetes (31.7%), both of which are known risk factors for glaucoma.

Conclusion:

The most affected individuals are older men, and the low socio-economic status patients and those with underlying conditions, notably hypertension and diabetes, which increase the risks.

Recommendations:

Strengthening public awareness, improving accessibility to eye care, and implementing regular screenings for high-risk groups are essential to reduce the prevalence and progression of glaucoma among patients attending eye care at JRRH.

Author Biographies

Simon Peter Mugerwa, Ophthalmic Clinical Officer's Training School, Jinja.

holds a Diploma in Clinical Ophthalmology from the Ophthalmic Clinical Officers’ Training School, Jinja.
Norman Ndikuno, Ophthalmic Clinical Officer's Training School, Jinja.

is a medical tutor at the Ophthalmic Clinical Officers’ Training School, Jinja.

References

Allison, K., Patel, D., & Alabi, O. (2020). Epidemiology of Glaucoma: The Past, Present, and Predictions for the Future. Cureus, 12(11), e11686.https://doi.org/10.7759/c ureus.11686

Hashemi H, Mohammadi M, Zandvakil N, Khabazkhoob M, Emamian MH, Shariati M, Fotouhi A. Prevalence and risk factors of glaucoma in an adult population from Shahroud, Iran. J Curr Ophthalmol. 2018 Jun 6;31(4):366-372. doi: 10.1016/j.joco.2018.05.003. PMID: 31844784; PMCID: PMC6896457.

Khandekar, R., Chauhan, D., Yasir, Z. H., Al-Zobidi, M., Judaibi, R., & Edward, D. P. (2019). The prevalence and determinants of glaucoma among 40-year-olds and older Saudi residents in the Riyadh Governorate (except the Capital) - A community-based survey. Saudi journal of ophthalmology: official journal of the Saudi Ophthalmological Society, 33(4), 332–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjopt.20 19.02.006

Kuo, Y. S., Liu, C. J., Cheng, H. C., Chen, M. J., Chen, W. T., & Ko, Y. C. (2017). Impact of socioeconomic status on vision-related quality of life in primary open-angle glaucoma. Eye (London, England), 31(10), 1480–1487. https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2017.99

Miller, J. (2021). Glaucoma: What`s new and what do I need to know? Harvard Health Publishinghttps://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/glaucoma-whats-new-and-what-do-i-need-to-know-2021031122104

Ohoud A Owaidhah, M. (2024).Glaucoma and infectious diseases. AMERICAN ACADEMY OPHTHALMOLOGY https://eyewiki.org/Glaucoma_and_Infectious_Disease

Rim, T. H., Lee, S. Y., Kim, S. H., Kim, S. S., & Kim, C. Y. (2017). Increased incidence of open-angle glaucoma among hypertensive patients: an 11-year nationwide retrospective cohort study. Journal of hypertension, 35(4), 729–736.https://doi.org/10 .1097/HJH.0000000000001225

Saifi, A. I., Nagrale, P., Ansari, K. K., Saifi, I., & Chaurasia, S. (2023). Advancement in Understanding Glaucoma: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus, 15(9), e46254. bihttps://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.46254

Sung, H., Shin, H.H., Baek, Y. et al. The association between socioeconomic status and visual impairments among primary glaucoma: the results from the Nationwide Korean National Health Insurance Cohort from 2004 to 2013. BMC Ophthalmol 17, 153 (2017).https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-017-0551-y

Tim Newman. (2023). What is glaucoma? MEDICALNEWSTODAY https://www.medical newstoday.com/articles/9710

Hashemi, H., Mohammadi, M., Zandvakil, N., Khabazkhoob, M., Emamian, M. H., Shariati, M., & Fotouhi, A. (2018). Prevalence and risk factors of glaucoma in an adult population from Shahroud, Iran. Journal of Current Ophthalmology, 31(4), 366–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joco.2018.05.003