Abstract:
Clinical significance: Ophthalmic nutrition education programs and good dietary patterns
are of considerable significance to ocular health outcomes.
Background: The study aimed at assessing the level of ophthalmic nutrition knowledge and
to compare the dietary patterns between different ophthalmic patients.
Methods: Four hundred and ninety-two adults (mean age 54.7 19.4 years) receiving care
at three eye-care facilities in Ghana were surveyed: 171 had senile cataract, 162 had openangle
glaucoma, and 159 had healthy eyes. A modified food frequency questionnaire was
administered to elicit ophthalmic nutrition knowledge and dietary intake information of participants
over the last 30 days. The results were compared between the three groups.
Results: More than half of the participants (n = 267; 54.3 per cent) had received some form of
education on food sources that are good for the eyes and vision, with healthy participants
accounting for 50.6 per cent of this proportion. Television (55.1 per cent; 147/267), radio (49.1
per cent; 131/267) and the eye doctor (34.1 per cent; 91/267) were the most frequent sources
of ophthalmic nutritional knowledge. Overall, less than one-quarter of the participants (n =
108; 22.2 per cent) were able to correctly identify one food source for at least four out of
seven selected ophthalmic nutrients. Vitamin C was the most frequently consumed ophthalmic
nutrient, whereas lycopene was the least taken across all groups. The average ophthalmic
nutrients intake score for those with healthy eyes (59.16 [53.39–64.93]) was significantly
greater than for both glaucoma patients (37.73 [32.01–43.44]) and cataract patients (34.81
[29.24–40.37]).
Conclusion: In addition to poor ophthalmic nutrition awareness and knowledge, both cataract
and glaucoma patients, compared to those with healthy eyes, consumed a lesser
amount of nutrients considered vital for eye health and vision. Ophthalmic nutrition education
is needed to improve eye-health outcomes.
