Table 2.
Knowledge and attitudes of the participants according to academic year
| KAP Statements | Overall n (%) (n=153) | Academic year | P§ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th year n (%) (n=73) | 5th year n (%) (n=80) | |||
| Knowledge | ||||
| K1. What is the estimated prevalence of DR for a patient with DM? | ||||
| 20% | 31 (20.3%) | 08 (11.0%) | 23 (28.8%) | 0.020 ** |
| 40%† | 99 (64.7%) | 54 (74.0%) | 45 (56.2%) | |
| 70% | 23 (15.0%) | 11 (15.1%) | 12 (15.0%) | |
| K2. DR is a disease of: | ||||
| optic nerves | 32 (20.9%) | 23 (31.5%) | 09 (11.2%) | 0.002 ** |
| blood vessels† | 119 (77.8%) | 48 (65.8%) | 71 (88.8%) | |
| increased intra-ocular pressure | 02 (01.3%) | 02 (02.7%) | 0 | |
| K3. The most critical risk factor in developing DR in a patient with DM is: | ||||
| duration of DM† | 124 (81.0%) | 56 (76.7%) | 68 (85.0%) | 0.278 |
| hypertension | 20 (13.1%) | 10 (13.7%) | 10 (12.5%) | |
| pregnancy | 01 (0.70%) | 01 (01.4%) | 0 | |
| nephropathy | 08 (05.2%) | 06 (08.2%) | 02 (02.5%) | |
| K4. The risk of developing DR is reduced through: | ||||
| optimizing glycemic control | 36 (23.5%) | 10 (13.7%) | 26 (32.5%) | 0.021 ** |
| optimizing blood pressure control | 03 (02.0%) | 02 (02.7%) | 01 (01.2%) | |
| both† | 114 (74.5%) | 61 (83.6%) | 53 (66.2%) | |
| K5. The most common cause of gradual and chronic visual impairment in patients with DM is: | ||||
| diabetes-related macular edema† | 123 (80.4%) | 63 (86.3%) | 60 (75.0%) | 0.056 |
| vitreous hemorrhage | 25 (16.3%) | 10 (13.7%) | 15 (18.8%) | |
| cataract surgery | 05 (03.3%) | 0 | 05 (06.2%) | |
| K6. An initial dilated and comprehensive ophthalmic examination of a patient with DM should be undertaken for: | ||||
| patients with type I DM at diagnosis and for patients with type II DM 5 years post-diagnosis | 37 (24.2%) | 12 (16.4%) | 25 (31.2%) | <0.001 ** |
| patients with type I DM 5 years post-diagnosis and for patients with type II DM at the time of diagnosis† | 85 (55.6%) | 54 (74.0%) | 31 (38.8%) | |
| patients with either type I or type II DM at time of diagnosis | 23 (15.0%) | 02 (02.7%) | 21 (38.8%) | |
| patients with either type I or type II DM 5 years post-diagnosis | 08 (05.2%) | 05 (06.8%) | 03 (03.8%) | |
| Attitudes | ||||
| A1. A patient with DM should have a regular ophthalmic examination. | ||||
| agree | 152 (99.3%) | 73 (100%) | 79 (98.8%) | 0.338 |
| disagree | 01 (0.7%) | 0 | 01 (01.2%) | |
| A2. There is no need for a patient to visit an ophthalmologist if their DM is well-controlled | ||||
| agree | 11 (07.2%) | 06 (08.2%) | 05 (06.2%) | 0.559 |
| disagree‡ | 123 (80.4%) | 60 (82.2%) | 63 (78.8%) | |
| undecided | 19 (12.4%) | 07 (09.6%) | 12 (15.0%) | |
| A3. Does timely treatment of DM decrease/prevent DR? | ||||
| agree | 121 (79.1%) | 63 (86.3%) | 58 (72.5%) | 0.111 |
| disagree | 22 (14.4%) | 07 (09.6%) | 15 (18.8%0 | |
| undecided | 10 (06.5%) | 03 (04.1%) | 07 (08.8%) | |
| A4. Patients with DM often waste time and money undertaking eye check-up as most of the time their eyes are healthy | ||||
| agree | 14 (09.2%) | 10 (13.7%) | 04 (05.0%) | 0.172 |
| disagree‡ | 107 (69.9%) | 49 (67.1%) | 58 (72.5%) | |
| undecided | 32 (20.9%) | 14 (19.2%) | 18 (22.5%) | |
DM, diabetes mellitus; DR, diabetes-related retinopathy; KAP, knowledge, attitudes, and practices, †Signifies the correct answer. ‡Signifies a negative answer. §The P value was calculated using a Chi-square test. ** Significance at P≤0.05