Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov 3:2:985893.
doi: 10.3389/fopht.2022.985893. eCollection 2022.

Treatment adherence and associated factors among glaucoma patients attending Ophthalmic units of referral hospitals in North West Ethiopia, 2019

Setarg Ayenew Birhanie  1 , Girma Alem Getie  1 , Mulugeta Tesfa  1 , Henok Mulugeta  1   2 , Mihretie Gedfew  1 , Yeshimareg Shita Mekete  3 , Tiliksew Liknaw  1 , Mikiyas Muche Teshale  1 , Melkamu Tilahun  3 , Baye Tsegaye Amlak  1 , Fentahun Minwuyelet Yitayew  1 , Temesgen Ayenew  1 , Bekalu Bewket  4 , Dejen Tsegaye  1
Affiliations

Treatment adherence and associated factors among glaucoma patients attending Ophthalmic units of referral hospitals in North West Ethiopia, 2019

Setarg Ayenew Birhanie et al. Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Objective: Glaucoma is one of the common eye disorders resulting from optic neuropathy, which leads to irreversible blindness if left untreated. Poor adherence to glaucoma medical treatments typically leads to some serious consequences, such as progressive visual impairment and blindness. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to treatment and associated factors among patients with glaucoma attending at Northwest Ethiopia referral hospitals.

Method: From March 1st to April 30th, 2019, an institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 382 consecutive glaucoma patients attending at Northwest Ethiopia referral hospitals. Data about adherence to glaucoma treatment was collected by using a standardized tool, the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8, through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Each collected data set was coded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.2, and analysis was done by using STATA version 14.0 statistical software. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess the effect of an independent variable on the dependent variable. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to declare a statistically significant association. The study proposal was approved by the Debre Markos University ethical review committee.

Results: Among the study participants, 189 (49.5%) were adherent to glaucoma treatment. In this study, occupation (farmer), good knowledge, favorable attitude, a short distance from patients' homes to hospitals, and scheduling problems for glaucoma medical follow-up visits were significant factors associated with adherence to glaucoma treatments.

Conclusion: The study has identified the adherence level as being low. Patient related factors and health care system related factors were significantly associated with adherence to glaucoma treatments. Appropriate patient education and planning a patient follow-up strategy might improve patients' adherence to glaucoma treatment. Care providers should place emphasis on the importance of adherence.

Keywords: Debremarkos; Ethiopia; Felegehiwot; glaucoma; treatment adherence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Level of social support among glaucoma patients attending ophthalmic follow up units of referral hospitals in North West Ethiopia, 2019.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Brunner LS. Brunner & suddarth's textbook of medical-surgical nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; (2010).
    1. Mehari T, Giorgis AT, Shibeshi W. Level of adherence to ocular hypotensive agents and its determinant factors among glaucoma patients in menelik II referral hospital, Ethiopia. BMC Ophthalmol (2016) 16(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12886-016-0316-z - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tham Y-C, Li X, Wong TY, Quigley HA, Aung T, Cheng C-Y. Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmology (2014) 121(11):2081–90. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.05.013 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pascolini D SPM. Global estimates of visual impairment. Br J Ophthalmol (2012) 96(5):614–8. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2011-300539 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kyari F, Abdull MM, Bastawrous A, Gilbert a CE, Faal H. Epidemiology of glaucoma in sub-Saharan Africa: prevalence, incidence and risk factors. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol (2013) 20:111–25. doi: 10.4103/0974-9233.110605 - DOI - PMC - PubMed