Knowledge and Awareness of Glaucoma Among Medical Students in South-East Nigeria

Glaucoma remains a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing a disproportionate burden due to limited access to eye care and late diagnosis This study assessed the levels of awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among medical students in South-East Nigeria, evaluated their understanding of risk factors, and examined barriers to screening. We employed a cross-sectional survey design targeting 337 medical students aged 18 to 40 years from Abia State University and Gregory University. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire distributed electronically via Google Forms. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including multivariable linear regression and binary logistic regression, were performed using R software version 4.5.2. The results showed that 69.4% of respondents were female, 54.9% were aged less than 20 years, and 96.4% had completed tertiary education. Awareness of glaucoma was high, with 87.8%, having heard of the condition and 94.7% correctly identifying it as nerve damage due to elevated intraocular pressure However, significant misconceptions persisted: 70.6% incorrectly associated glaucoma with lens pathology, 84.9% believed it was associated with eye pain, and only 63.2% recognized that glaucoma can be asymptomatic. While 69.4% correctly understood that blindness from glaucoma is irreversible, 32.9% incorrectly believed that poisoning could cause glaucoma. Recognition of systemic risk factors was relatively high, with 77.7% identifying diabetes and 79.5% identifying hypertension as risk factors. Nevertheless, only 63.8% expressed willingness to undergo screening. Binary logistic regression revealed that respondents aged less than 20 years had approximately half the odds of possessing adequate knowledge compared to those aged 20 to 29 (adjusted odds ratio= 0.53, p = 0 085). Multivariable linear regression showed that tertiary education was associated with significantly lower knowledge scores compared to secondary education (adjusted β = -1.40, p = 0.005), suggesting a gap in targeted glaucoma education within university curricula. The mean knowledge score was 8.8 out of 12, reflecting a generally superficial understanding despite high awareness. This study demonstrates that while awareness of glaucoma is high among medical students in South-East Nigeria, knowledge remains superficial and riddled with misconceptions, particularly regarding the disease's asymptomatic onset, irreversibility of vision loss, and accurate risk factor identification. These findings highlight an urgent need for targeted health education and subsidized screening initiatives to bridge the gap between awareness and actionable knowledge, thereby reducing glaucoma-related blindness in this population.