Volume 26, Issue 130, December 2022

Knowledge and attitudes toward amblyopia among parents in Madinah, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Hanan Mustafa Makhdoum¹, Shatha Ahmed Albadawi², Amenah Salman Tashkandi², Mashael Abdullah Abdulmaqsud³, Alhanouf Dhaifallah Alharbi⁴

¹Ophthalmology Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Taibah University, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
²General Practitioner, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Medical City, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
³Preventive Medicine Resident, Madinah Health Cluster, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
⁴General Practitioner, Alharam Hospital, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude toward amblyopia among parents in Madinah City, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 parents in Madinah, Saudi Arabia from August 2021 to September 2021. The questionnaire had four parts: Socio-demographic data of the child's parents, knowledge-related questions contain participants' self-assessment questions, attitudes about amblyopia and if the participant has an amblyopic child. Results: A total of 385 parents were included in this study, of which 73.3% were mothers. Most of the mothers were bachelor's degree holder (62.7%) compared with only 41% of the fathers. Only 16.4% of the parents claimed to have adequate knowledge of amblyopia and nearly two-thirds (67.3%) did not know amblyopia. The correct definition of amblyopia was identified by 44.2% of the participants. The most frequently known causes were myopia and farsightedness (21.3%). The results showed that parents with an adequate knowledge of amblyopia were more likely to assent that amblyopia is curable with treatment compliance than those with inadequate knowledge (96.8% vs. 67.2%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study assessed the knowledge and attitude about amblyopia through parents in the Medina region, which will greatly influence early diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment. In this study, few participants had adequate knowledge of amblyopia. Thus, raising the level of awareness about amblyopia for early diagnosis is crucial to improve treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Amblyopia, Knowledge, Attitude, Medina, Saudi Arabia

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms554e2614

PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i130/ms554e2614

Published: 23 December 2022