KNOWLEDGE AND PREVENTIVE BEHAVIORS REGARDING CATARACT AMONG ADULTS AGED 40 AND ABOVE

Tóm tắt

Background: Cataract is a very common eye disease among people over 50 years old. Knowledge about cataract is considered an important factor in disease prevention practices, including the use of eye care services. Objective: To describe the prevalence of knowledge and preventive behaviors against cataract, and associated factors, among the community in Rach Gia city, Kien Giang province. Materials and method:  A cross-sectional study was conducted with 377 participants aged 40 and above. Results: The study population had an average age of 60.3 years, with the youngest participant being 41 years old and the oldest being 92 years old. More than half, 226 (59.9%), of the participants were female. The rates of good knowledge and prevention behaviors were low, at 29.2% and 29.4% respectively. The top 5 communication channels that people easily accessed were: television, healthcare workers, websites/social media, family and radio. Three factors associated with achieving good knowledge about cataract prevention were: age <60 years, higher educational level, and not a poor (p<0.05). Four factors associated with achieving good prevention behaviors were: age <60 years, higher educational level, history of eye disease, and having good knowledge (p<0.05). Conclusion: Improving community-based health communication to enhance knowledge and self-management of cataract prevention is recommended.