Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Diabetic Patients in King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness. Over a third of the population with diabetes (DM) develop DR. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the awareness level of DR in the subjects with DM attending clinics at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in KKESH. Responses from 360 subjects (men and women) with DM were collected using a validated questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. The questionnaire was constructed to assess the level of knowledge about DR, its screening, prevention, and treatment. The questionnaire responses were utilized thereafter to assess the association between the level of awareness of DR and the characteristics of the subjects. Pearson's chi-squared test was computed to exhibit the association and a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Almost all the subjects answered six or more questions, thereby considered aware of DR. Only 3.6% of the subjects knew how often their eyes should be screened for DR. Only 3.2% of the subjects with DM type 1 (DM1) knew when their eyes should be examined after being diagnosed with DM. Men exhibited a significantly higher (p= 0.04) level of awareness compared to women. Comparing the other characteristics of the subjects exhibited no significant differences. In conclusion, although the studied population exhibited a good level of awareness about DR, they would benefit from further education on DR, especially on how regularly their vision is recommended to be examined to prevent DR and its consequences.