Article
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The Lifetime Expenditure in People with Keratoconus in Saudi Arabia
Version 1
: Received: 1 March 2023 / Approved: 2 March 2023 / Online: 2 March 2023 (08:48:53 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Al-Atawi, S.; Alghamdi, A.; Alzahrani, K. The Lifetime Expenditure in People with Keratoconus in Saudi Arabia. Vision 2023, 7, 52. Al-Atawi, S.; Alghamdi, A.; Alzahrani, K. The Lifetime Expenditure in People with Keratoconus in Saudi Arabia. Vision 2023, 7, 52.
Abstract
Aim: This study measures and evaluates the socioeconomic burden of people living with keratoconus in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design, a Keratoconus Economic Burden Questionnaire, and a convenient sample of 89 keratoconus patients (58.4% male) drawn from multiple regions in Saudi Arabia. It was conducted using online surveys and the data was analysed using appropriate quantitative techniques. Results: The mean age and annual income of participants were 33.24 years and Saudi Riyal (SAR) 33,505.6180 (SD=62,215.29), respectively, with only 37% being employed for wages. Up to 94.4% needed glasses or contact lenses at least once a week and 73.0% received care from optometrists. The condition forced 45.9% of the respondents to change careers or leisure activities, with a further 51.3% having to take time off work. The mean annual out-of-pocket expenses for buying and maintaining glasses or contact lenses as well as traveling and accommodation for keratoconus-related treatment were SAR 8,673.19 (SD=11,307.73), with 48.32 incurring upwards of SAR 12,000 over the period. The treatment costs increased with disease duration, r(89) = .216, p < .05. Regression results show that the existence of comorbid eye disease, changing glasses at least once a year, and wearing either glasses or contact lenses at least once a week individually have statistically significant, negative effects on the total annual keratoconus treatment costs, while disease duration, utilisation of optometrists, and taking time off had a statistically significant increase on the total cost (p<.05). Conclusion: With a prevalence rate of 1 in 375, progressive debilitation, and the lifetime nature of the disease, keratoconus is a critical public health concern in Saudi Arabia. The resulting visual impairment and discomfort as well as both direct and indirect economic burdens have considerable impacts on the patient's quality of life.
Keywords
keratoconus; lifetime expenditure; economic burden; Keratoconus Economic Burden Questionnaire
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Ophthalmology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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