KNOWLEDGE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS ABOUT CATARACT AMONG ADULTS IN KOMBOLCHA CITY, NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and accounts for half of the total blindness in Ethiopia. Despite it is treatable, the lack of knowledge about cataract and its treatment is still a major barrier in the developing countries. Knowledge about the disease and its treatment play key role for the people with cataract to get timely eye care. Objective: To assess knowledge and associated factors about cataract among adults in Kombolcha city, Northeast Ethiopia Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was implemented. Stratified multistage sampling technique was used to select a total of 847 study participants aged 18 years or older. A face to face interview was applied using a pretested structured questionnaire in Amharic language. The collected data was entered into Epidemiological information version 7 and exported to statistical package for social sciences version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with odds ratio were used. Variables with p-value less than 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were considered as statistically significant predictors for knowledge about cataract. Results: A total of 771 participants completed the study with a response rate of 91%. Of the total, 86.0% were from urban kebeles and 50.8% were female. The median age of the participants was 30 years. About 75.6% (583) individuals were familiar for the term cataract. Overall 537 (69.6%) [95% CI: 66.3-72.9] had good knowledge about cataract. Higher educational status [AOR: 6.041; 95%CI: 3.106-11.746], being married [AOR: 1.787; 95% CI: 1.174-2.721], having history of a previous eye examination [AOR: 1.619; 95% CI: 1.053-2.488] and positive history of cataract [AOR: 10.443; 95% CI: 2.078-52.493] were significantly associated with good knowledge about cataract. Conclusion and recommendation: Overall about two-third participants had a good knowledge about cataract. Higher educational status, being married, having previous eye examination and positive history of cataract had significantly positive association with good knowledge about cataract. As cataract is a leading blinding disease, maximizing the existing knowledge by giving a special attention for those not having formal education is essential. Keywords: Knowledge, cataract, associated factors, Kombolcha, Ethiopia.