Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Diabetic Retinopathy Among People With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of preventable blindness.
• Understanding patient Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) is crucial for effective DR management.
• Global disparities in DR care necessitate an evaluation of KAP levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing data on KAP levels concerning DR.
• To identify demographic and contextual factors influencing KAP regarding DR.
• To provide a global overview of KAP for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines.
• Inclusion of 29 cross-sectional studies (14,830 participants) from major databases.
• Data analysis using random-effects models with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) and OpenMeta [Analyst] software.

Main Results:

• Pooled prevalence of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice towards DR was 43.1%, 49.6%, and 40.0%, respectively.
• Higher KAP levels were observed in high-income countries compared to low- and middle-income countries.
• Positive attitude showed a minimal but significant association with good practice; knowledge was not significantly associated with attitude or practice.

Conclusions:

• Global KAP levels regarding DR are suboptimal, highlighting a significant public health challenge.
• Targeted, context-specific interventions are essential to enhance DR awareness and promote preventive behaviors.
• Special attention and resources are needed for resource-limited settings to bridge the KAP gap.