To assess the use of eye care and its predictors among diabetic patients in China.
Cross-sectional, clinic-based study.
Diabetic patients 18 years of age or older were recruited consecutively from an urban
tertiary and community hospitals and from a rural clinic in Guangdong, China.
Information obtained by questionnaire and chart review included: demographic and socioeconomic
status, knowledge about diabetic retinopathy (DR), and ocular and medical history.
Self-reported or chart history of an eye examination ever or within the preceding
12 months.
The participation rate among 889 eligible subjects was 92.7%. Among 824 participants
(mean age, 62.6+/-12.9 years; 58.8% female), 550 (66.7%) had not been examined in
the last year as recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and 356 (43.2%)
had never been examined. For the rural hospital, these figures were 81.1% and 68.7%,
respectively. In regression analyses, factors associated with having an eye examination
in the last year were: attendance at urban hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 3.46 [P<0.001]
and 1.76 [P = 0.021] for the tertiary and community hospitals, respectively, compared
with the rural clinic), higher DR knowledge score (OR, 1.24; P = 0.001), greater concern
about vision loss (OR, 1.22; P = 0.007), and recommendation of regular eye examinations
by the provider (OR, 2.36; P = 0.011). Predictors of ever having an eye examination
were similar. Monthly income and health insurance status were not predictive of being
examined.
These results suggest that the low proportion of diabetic receiving recommended annual
eye examinations in China may be improved through patient and physician education.
Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.