ArticleBMC ophthalmology2016
Glaucoma, "the silent thief of sight": patients' perspectives and health seeking behaviour in Bauchi, northern Nigeria.
Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Clinical and demographic characteristics of glaucoma patients in Kingston, Jamaica.International ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Automated cup-to-disc ratio quantification via color fundus photography for chronic glaucoma screening.BMC medical imaging · 2025Article
- Seeing the unseen: The low treatment rate of eye emergencies in Africa.World journal of methodology · 2025Article
- Lived Experience of Patients Living with Glaucoma: A Qualitative Study.JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association · 2025Article
- Article
- Myopia and Nutrient Associations with Age-Related Eye Diseases in Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional KNHANES Study.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Factors limiting glaucoma care among glaucoma patients in Nigeria: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Factors associated with delayed first ophthalmological consultation for primary glaucoma: a qualitative interview study.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- EEGformer: A transformer-based brain activity classification method using EEG signal.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Article
- Thermoresponsive sol-gel improves ocular bioavailability of Dipivefrin hydrochloride and potentially reduces the elevated intraocular pressureSaudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2020Article
- Level of Glaucoma Drug Adherence and Its Associated Factors Among Adult Glaucoma Patients Attending Felege Hiwot Specialized Hospital, Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia.Clinical optometry · 2020Article
- Adherence with Medical Therapy for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma in Kenya - A Pilot Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2020Article
- Process of adaptation, development and assessment of acceptability of a health educational intervention to improve referral uptake by people with diabetes in Sri Lanka.BMC public health · 2019Article
- So let me find my way, whatever it will cost me, rather than leaving myself in darkness: experiences of glaucoma in Nigeria.Global health actionArticle
- A scoping review of patients' barriers to eye care for glaucoma and keratitis.Survey of ophthalmologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn Nigeria, glaucoma has a high prevalence and is the second cause of blindness among adults after cataract. People with glaucoma frequently present very late with advanced disease, and acceptance of and adherence to treatment is low. The purpose of the study was to explore how patients' understand and respond to glaucoma in order develop an intervention to improve adherence to treatment.
methodHospital based qualitative study. Six focus group discussions were held with patients with advanced disease and who had either undergone glaucoma surgery, were receiving medical treatment, or had neither surgery nor medical treatment. Two traditional healers who treat eye conditions were interviewed. Audio files were transcribed, translated into English and recurring themes coded and categorized as the impact of vision loss, and understandings of the disease and its management.
resultsVisual loss impacted significantly on the lives of people with glaucoma in many ways. Many heard the term "glaucoma" for the first time during the study. Local terms to describe the symptoms included Hawan jinin ido ("hypertension of the eye"). Patients sought treatment in pharmacies, or with traditional healers who had different interpretations of glaucoma and its treatment to biomedical understandings. Cost and forgetfulness were the main reasons for low adherence to treatment while fear was a reason for not accepting surgery. Lack of money and negative staff attitudes were reasons for low follow up.
conclusionHalting the progression of glaucoma is possible with treatment but the condition will remain a "silent thief of sight" in West Africa unless awareness, uptake of services and adherence to treatment improve. Understanding how glaucoma is locally conceptualised, lived with and responded to by patients is essential to aid the design of interventions to prevent glaucoma blindness in Africa. Findings have been used to adapt a motivational interviewing intervention, which is being evaluated in a clinical trial.
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Registered trials
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