Demographic factors associated with myopia knowledge, attitude and preventive practices among adults in Ghana: a population-based cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Purpose Knowledge, positive attitude and good preventive practices are keys to successful myopia control, but information on these is lacking in Africa. This study determined the KAP on myopia in Ghana. Methods This was a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted among adults (aged 18 years and older) living across 16 regions of Ghana between May and October 2021. Data on socio-demographic factors (sex, age, gender, level of education, working status, type of employment, monthly income, and region of residence), respond‑ ents’ awareness, and knowledge, attitude and preventive practices (KAP) about myopia were collected. Composite and mean scores were calculated from eleven knowledge (total score=61), eight attitude (48), and nine preventive practice items (33). Diferences in mean scores were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and stand‑ ardized coefcients (β) with 95% confdence intervals (CI), using multiple linear regression to determine the associa‑ tions between the dependent (KAP) and demographic variables. Results Of the 1,919 participants, mean age was 37.4±13.4 years, 42.3% were aged 18–30 years, 52.6% were men, 55.8% had completed tertiary education, and 49.2% had either heard about myopia, or accurately defned myo‑ pia as short sightedness. The mean KAP scores were 22.9±23.7, 33.9±5.4, and 22.3±2.8, respectively and varied signifcantly with many of the demographic variables particularly with age group, region, marital status, and type of employment. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed signifcant associations between region of residence and knowledge (β=—0.54, 95%CI:-0.87, -0.23, p<0.001), attitude (β=—0.24, 95%CI:-0.35,-0.14, p<0.001) and preven‑ tive practices (β=0.07, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12, p=0.015). Preventive practices were also associated with type of employ‑ ment (self-employed vs employee: β=0.25, 95%CI: 0.15, 4.91, p<0.05). Knowledge scores were signifcantly higher in those who lived in the Greater Accra (39.5±18.5) and Eastern regions (39.1±17.5) and lower among those who