Abstract:

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major problems affecting diabetic patients worldwide. This problem is preventable if appropriate measures are taken early. Socio-economic consequences of this problem are significant especially in developing countries, since the treatment of diabetes mellitus is expensive and requires close monitoring. In fact, the management of diabetes mellitus is much more successful when the public health measures such as screening and health education aimed at raising diabetic awareness are effectively undertaken. Generally, prompt management of any ocular problem identified helps to reduce the burden of visual impairment among diabetics, and yet visual impairment remains a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Knowledge of the epidemiology and the burden of this co-morbidity.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was done enrolled 267 of the patients who were eligible for the study. Their demographic data, prevalence, knowledge and attitudes was assessed by using a standardized questionnaire.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, awareness, attitude of diabetic retinopathy among diabetics mellitus patients attending at Bugando Medical Center.

Result: A total of 267 diabetic’s patients was interviewed with the mean age was 60.98 with their age ranging from 20 to 87 and standard deviation of 14.09 median of 63 years old. The study have signifies still the patients with diabetics have DM retinopathy about 14% from 38 participants where among all of the participants have low awareness level on DM retinopathy scored below 60% are 77.2% (206) for the moderate awareness level 11.2% (30) and high level of awareness scored more than 80% are 11.6% (31).in relation to their attitude also have shown most of the patients have poor attitudes level scored below 60% is 60.3% (161), good attitudes scored 60% to 79%,33% (88) and for best attitudes scored more than 80% is 6.7% (18).