The Socioeconomic Impact Among Tunisian Glaucoma Patients

The purpose of our study is to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) on Tunisian population

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Habib Thameur Hospital,Tunisia

We collected 38 glaucomatous patients. Primary open-angle glaucoma patients who were ≥ 40 years old at the time of recruitment had minimal cataract, underwent cataract or trabeculectomy surgery at least 3 months prior and were on medical and surgical treatment. Data were collected from patients through one-on-one interview with questionnaire.

 The mean age of patients was 58 years old.  The average of intraocular pressure was 21.6 mm Hg with 21.05 % of patients having an IOP over 30 mmHg. We noted that 76.31 % of patients resided in urban areas and 41.2% of them were illiterate.  Patients' monthly spending on glaucoma ranged between zero and 69.5 TND, with a mean of 35.2 TND which equalled 12.2% of their monthly income. For glaucoma education, sixty-five per cent of patients did not know that glaucoma causes blindness. The primary source of knowledge about glaucoma data for patients was mainly the ophthalmologists. 47.3% of the participants experienced anxiety and depression. Severe stage of glaucoma and reduced visual acuity were significantly associated with anxiety.

POAG is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, and poses serious public health and economic concerns. We think that identifying the socio-economic impact of glaucoma can raise awareness among Tunisian patients and ophthalmologists, and may result in the optimal management of glaucoma.