Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Cataracts and Their Associated Factors Among Hail Region Residents in Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

This study found that residents in Hail, Saudi Arabia have poor knowledge and attitudes about cataracts, which could hinder early diagnosis and treatment.

Contribution

The study identifies age and cataract diagnosis as significant factors influencing knowledge levels about cataracts in the Hail region.

Findings

Only 51.5% of participants had good knowledge of cataracts and their risk factors.

Participants aged 50 or older had significantly better cataract knowledge than younger participants.

Non-affected individuals had better knowledge than those diagnosed with cataracts.

Abstract

Background

Cataract is a condition that affects the lens, causing separation and/or aggregation of proteins and disrupting the regular alignment of cell fibers. Cataracts have many known risk factors contributing to their development, such as diabetes, oral steroid therapy, smoking, and high body mass index. Good knowledge about cataracts may improve the quality of treatment through early diagnosis. Unfortunately, poor knowledge is still a significant barrier to reducing blindness caused by cataracts in developing countries.

Methodology

This cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-validated questionnaire and online questionnaires. Participants were approached through multiple social media platforms from June 2022 to August 2022.

Results

Of the 307 participants, with a mean age of 32.4 ± 12.8 years, 51.5% had good knowledge of cataracts and their related risk factors, while 28.7% had a favorable attitude about cataracts. Of all participants, 50.5% reported a diagnosis of cataract. The majority of participants, 58.6%, who did not have cataracts, had good knowledge versus 44.5% of others with (p = 0.014). Moreover, 75% of participants aged 50 years or older had good overall cataract knowledge levels compared to 38.9% of others aged 30-39 years (p = 0.002).

Conclusions

Cataracts are a preventable cause of blindness that can be corrected by surgery. In this study, we discovered extremely concerning rates of knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding cataracts among the populations of Hail City. More educational programs should be directed toward spreading knowledge about cataracts to patients and the public.

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