A study of knowledge and attitude about eye donation among 1st-year medical students
Abstract
Introduction: Corneal transplantation for sight restoration is the only treatment modality available for those who are blind from corneal diseases. Medical students, as future doctors of the society, can be an effective tool for planning, educating, sensitizing, motivating the general public to pledge for eye donation. For this purpose, an assessment of the knowledge and awareness about eye donation among medical students is important.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University medical college and hospital, Sangli. The students admitted for the first year MBBS were enrolled for a pretested, questionnaire to collect data validating their knowledge and awareness about eye donation, sources of information about eye donation, reason/s for willingness and reason/s for non-willingness to donate eye/s. A total of 137 students participated in the study.
Results: In this study 71 (51.72 %) participant students had a knowledge that the ideal time of eye removal was within 6 hours of death. 120 (87.59 %) participants expressed their will for eye donation. Perceived reasons for not pledging eyes by the students 17 (12.40 %) felt, eye donation was against their religious belief 03 (2.1%), fear of misuse of eyes, 24 (17.51 %) and 15 (10.94%) do not wish to be mutilated.
Conclusion: This study revealed that all first-year MBBS student participants are well aware of eye donations and120 (87.59 %) are willing to pledge for eye donation.
Downloads
References
Thylefors B, Negrel AD, Pararajasegaram R, Dadzie KY. Global data on blindness. Bull World Health Organization .1995;73(1):115-121.
Whitcher JP, Srinivasan M, Upadhyay MP. Corneal blindness: a global perspective. Bull World Health Organization. 2001;79(3):214-221.
Pascolini D, Mariotti SP. Global estimates of visual impairment in 2010. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012; 96(5):614-618. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2011-300539.
Oliva MS, Schottman T, Gulati M. Turning the tide of corneal blindness. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2012; 60(5):423-427. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/0301-4738.100540.
Eze BI, Okoye O, Eze JN. Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Eye Donation and Corneal Transplant: Medical Versus Nonmedical University Students in a Developing Country in Africa. Exp Clin Transplant. 2014;12(5):454-461.
Kannan KA. Eye donation movement in India. J Indian Med Assoc. 1999;97(8):318-319.
Mohan M. Survey of Blindness—India (1986- 1989): Summary Results. New Delhi: Programme for the Control of Blindness, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.1992.
Kumara R. Eye Donation Awareness among the Students. Asian J of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2016;53(6):37-38.
Singh MM, Rahi M, Pagare D, Ingle GK. Medical Students perception on eye donation in Delhi. Indian J Ophthalmol.2007; 55:49-53.
Dhabarde K, Hemangi T, Madan H. Awareness and perception regarding Eye donation. Community/Social Ophthalmology. Free Papers.
Gupta N, Vashist p, Ganger A, Tondon R,Gupta SK. Eye donation and eye banking in india.Natl Med J India.2018;31(5):283-286. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-258X.261189.
National Programme for Control of Blindness. Available from: http://pbhealth.gov.in/pdf/Blindness .pdf.
Yew YW, Saw SM, Pan JCH, Shen HM, Lwin M, Yew MS et al. Knowledge and beliefs on corneal donation in Singapore adults. Br J Ophthalmol.2005;89(7):835-840. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Fbjo.2004.057372.
Saini JS. Realistic targets and strategies in eye banking. Indian J Ophthalmol.1997;45(3):141-142.
Rekhi GS, Kulshreshtha OP. Common causes of blindness: A pilot study in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Indian J Ophthamol. 1991;39(3):108-111.
Priyadarshini B, Srinivasan M, Padmavathi A, Selvam S, Saradha R, Nirmalan PK, et al. Awareness of eye donation in an adult population of southern India. A pilot study. Indian J Ophthalmol.2003;51(1):101-104.
Krishnaiah S, Kovai V, Nutheti R, Shamanna B R, Thomas R, Rao GN. Awareness of eye donation in rural population in India. Indian J of Ophthalmol.2004;52(1):73-78.
Bharti MK, Reddy SC, Tajunisah I, Ali NAM. Awareness and Knowledge on Eye Donation among University Students. Med J Malaysia. 2009;64(1):41-45.
Gupta A, Jain S, Jain T, Gupta K. Awareness and perception regarding eye donation in students of a nursing college in Bangalore. Indian J Community Med. 2009;34(2):122-125. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.51235.
Singh MM, Manju R, Deepti P, Ingle GK. Medical students' perception on eye donation in Delhi. Indian J Ophthalmol.2007;55(1):49-53. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/0301-4738.29495.
Gawali A., Dase R, Pawar K. Quadriu.Awareness and Knowledge Regarding Eye Donation in Students of Medical Colleges in Aurangabad. Int J Curr Med Appl Sci. 2014;2(1):9-13.
Muthukrishnan V, Pranav S, Kumar, Krishnamoorthy J, Arumugam R. Delhi J Ophthalmol. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7869/djo.285
Nekar MS, Lokare L, Gokhale SA, Godbole M, Mulkipatil SY, Mahesh V. Awareness Of Eye Donation Among College Students Of Hubli City, Karnataka. Indian J Biomed Res. 2012;3(4):201-204. doi: https://doi.org/10.7439/ijbr.v3i4.415
Hegde V, Rashmi S, Pavithra S.Awareness about eye donation among nursing staff in a hospital in South India- A questionnaire based study. Ind J Clin Experiment Ophthalmol. 2019;5(4):570–573. doi: http://doi.org/10.18231/j.ijceo.2019.130.
Dhaliwal U. Enhancing eye donation rates. Training students to be motivators. Ind J Ophthalmol. 2002;50(3):209.
OAI - Open Archives Initiative
Therapoid
