LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS IN TAIF UNIVERSITY TOWARD KERATOCONUS, TAIF, SAUDI ARABIA
- Medical Intern, College of Medicine, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Medical Student, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Consultant, Department of Family Medicine, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Objectives:To determine the level of awareness of keratoconus (KC)among students at Taif University in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done on 957 students from Taif university, KSAfrom March to August 2021. An online-based survey was done using a pr-designed questionnaire that included items on socio-demographic data, having KC, and awareness about KC.
Results: 33.8% of students heard about KC, 12.7% heard about it from social media, and 29.5% reported that KC is a thin protruded cornea. Almost half 53.6% reported that KC might lead to myopia, 24.6% is related to allergy, 33.9% thought it is hereditary and the majority 49.2% did not know its treatment. The prevalence of poor, fair, and good knowledge regarding KC was 48.9%, 38.1%, and 13% respectively. Femalessignificantlyknewthe relationship between KC and myopia, allergy, and heredity, did not know KC treatment and had good knowledge aboutKCcompared to males. Non-medical students had a significanthigher percent of those who knew that KC is a thin protruded cornea but did not know KC treatment.
Conclusion: This study revealed insufficient knowledge regarding KC among studied students. This is a need to increase awareness about KC through health awareness programs and community campaigns for better eye health.
[Rahma A. Algethami, Layla M. Alkhaldi, Abeer I. Alsulaimani and Aymen A. Atalla (2021); LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS IN TAIF UNIVERSITY TOWARD KERATOCONUS, TAIF, SAUDI ARABIA Int. J. of Adv. Res. 9 (Sep). 832-839] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com
Saudi Arabia