Table 2 Examples of participant responses on specific topics about glaucoma
Impact of glaucoma and blindness from glaucoma |
Emotional well-being |
“This sickness has affected our ambition and killed our dreams”. FGD 06-M47 |
“As human nature, relatives, friends and neighbours sometimes avoid us. In fact the relationship is not the same again”. FGD 03-M62 |
“Our relatives are trying their best but sometimes they get tired”. FGD 06-F69 |
“I wanted to study so much but I got this disease at secondary school. I am not happy about it since I was one of the best students in school. I still dream about school”. FGD 02-F40 |
Social issues |
“This sickness has also affected our roles and the status we occupy at home and in society generally”. FGD 06-M47 |
“The sickness affects our social activities. For example, we cannot attend some social gatherings”. FGD 06-F50 |
Economic issues |
“I cannot do the work I used to do before the onset of this sickness”. FGD 03-M30 |
“I am a professional and I cannot do my job now. I used to farm very well but now I cannot do it. Lack of sight has deprived me of many things” FGD 03-M51 |
Resilience |
“When one is blind, he/she just has to tolerate and bear certain things”. FGD 01-F22 |
Impact on family and relationships |
“Relations show concern and care to our sickness”. FGD 01-F40 |
“My sickness affects every activity my relatives are engaged in. For example they have left their farms, business, work and little ones alone just to be with us here in the hospital”. FGD 04-F50 |
“Family and relatives help us in most of our chores, but they may not do everything the way we want it done”. FGD 04-F52 |
Seeking treatment |
“My neighbour prescribed my eye drop for me when I told him I have glaucoma because he also has the same illness. FGD 01-M57 |
“I don’t think glaucoma or any other eye problem has traditional cure. This is because traditional healers don’t have equipment to test any eye disease”. FGD 04-M26 |
“I once use traditional herb, but there was no improvement” |
“Traditional healers use one herb to treat many different ailments, so they can be very dangerous”.FGD 01-F45 |
“I once met a traditional leader who told me my problem was glaucoma. He wanted to operate on my eye but my colleagues warned me and said if the surgery does not work, where will you see the man to complain or sue him in the court when my eyes go blind? So I opted out and refused the operation” FGD 05-M32. |
Adherence to treatment |
Forgetfulness |
“We try our best to use the drugs as prescribed, but it is natural as human beings to forget once in a while”. FGD 03-F35 |
Beliefs about medication / side effects |
“I don’t intend to use the drugs for too long because I believe that long term usage can cause complications for me” FGD 01-M54 |
Medication of no benefit |
“As a blind person, I no longer use the drugs because I feel they are not useful to me since I cannot see”. |
“There was a time I defaulted because the drugs were not working for me”. FGD 01-M54 |
Satisfaction with medication |
“I am happy using eye drops but would prefer to be given spectacles” FGD 05-M49 |
“Drugs have helped to prevent the remaining part of my eye from complete blindness”. FGD 05-M49 |
Acceptance of surgery |
“I know people that have undergone glaucoma surgery and they are seeing better now”. |
“My sister was completely blind, but doctor X performed surgery and it was successful, but I don’t know if her case was glaucoma”. FGD 06-F69 |
“I have had surgery and can testify that I can see better after the surgery than I was seeing before the surgery too”. FGD 01-M43 |
“I will accept an offer of surgery because from the information we received about glaucoma, surgery is the best option to avoid blindness”.FGD 04 M38 |
“I have not rejected an offer of surgery from the hospital, but financial constraints made me delay the surgery”. FGD 04-F45 |
Follow up |
“Keeping follow up appointments will help us especially when we have problems with the drug or in an instance of side effects”. FGD 04 M38 |
“You will come very early in the morning waiting to see the doctor, but you spend the whole day because they are seeing people who came after you, even if they are their staff or family. This is not fair and I don’t want to quarrel again with anyone”. FGD 06-F62 |
Communicating about glaucoma |
“I can inform others about glaucoma based on the information I have received during this discussion”. FGD 06-M47 |