ABSTRACT
We aimed to compare the demographics, awareness about glaucoma, and adherence to the treatment between the young and old population of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients.
The POAG patients who were under follow-up in Bakırköy Training and Research Hospital Ophthalmology Clinic and were using medication since at least one year and volunteered for our survey were included this cross-sectional study between April and May 2018. Two surveys which included 13 questions and were used in previous studies were enriched with 6 additional questions and applied to the patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to the World Health Organization’s classification in regard to age as ≤65 years (young patients) and >65 years (old patients) and compared in regards to the survey questions.
There was not statistically significant between the two groups in regards to gender, general awareness about glaucoma, regular follow-up, regular drug use, family history of glaucoma, disability in hand and arm movements, duration of glaucoma (p>0.05 for all). There was a statistical difference between the two groups in regards to the education level (the patients ≤65 years were more educated, p=0.03), awareness of blindness secondary to the disease (more frequent in the patients ≤65 years old, p=0.02), awareness of drug’s brand (more frequent in the patients ≤65 years old, p=0.003), requiring assistance while using the drugs (more frequent in the group of patients >65 years-old, p=0.01), monthly number of forgetting the drug doses (more frequent in the group of patients >65 years-old, p=0.006), living alone (more frequent in the group of patients >65 years-old, p=0.02), and the number of used drugs (more frequent in the group of patients >65 years-old, p=0.03).
It is obvious that the patients who are >65 years old will be less adherent to glaucoma treatment as they more frequently require assistance for drug use and live alone.
Keywords: Glaucoma, drug, adherence