Determinants of glaucoma awareness in a general eye clinic

Purpose: Heightened public awareness about glaucoma may increase the chance of identifying undetected cases. To ascertain determinants of glaucoma awa reness, we surveyed a population visiting a general eye clinic, Design: Cross-sectional study. Participants: 1197 general eye clinic patients and their companions. Methods: We designed and administered a questionnaire about glaucoma to gen eral eye clinic patients and their companions. We created multivariate logi stic regression models to ascertain the effect of demographic and clinical features on the likelihood of being unaware of glaucoma. Main Outcome Measures: Adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interva ls of survery attributes associated with self-perceived unfamiliarity with glaucoma. Results: Glaucoma awareness overall (72%) approached that found in the subg roup self-reporting a diagnosis of glaucoma (80%), Survey attributes associ ated with an increased likelihood of being unaware of glaucoma were African American race (OR = 1.69 [1.28-2,20], Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 2.13 [1.46- 3.02]), and less than a college education (OR = 1,67 [1,37-2,05]). Age was also a determinant of glaucoma awareness (for ages 50-64 years, OR = 0.60 [ 0.44-0.80] and for ages 65-79 years, OR = 0.56 [0.41-0.75] compared with ag es less than 35 years). A self-report of glaucoma was not a determinant of glaucoma awareness (OR = 0.63 [0,33-1,17]), although there was a trend towa rd enhanced glaucoma awareness in this subgroup. Finally, respondents with a history of employment in the health field (OR = 0.63 [0.49-0.82]) myopia (OR = 0.68 [0,56-0.82]), glaucoma in a first-degree relative (OR = 0.68 [0. 53-0.87]), and respondents who reported having a dilated eye examination (O R = 0.53 [0.42-0.66]) were less likely to be unaware of glaucoma than those who did not have these attributes. Conclusions: Although glaucoma awareness in this population was high, Hispa nics, African Americans, and those with less than a college education were more likely to be unfamiliar with the disease, Interestingly, a self-report of having glaucoma was not a statistically significant determinant of glau coma awareness. (C) 2000 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.