Altwijri Rahaf, Alsuliman Suliman A, Alanazi Latifa, Aldossari Shaikha H, Ahmad Abeer, Al Dhibi Hassan, Alsulaiman Sulaiman M
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi J Ophthalmol. 2020 Nov 22;34(1):25-29. doi: 10.4103/1319-4534.301293. eCollection 2020 Jan-Mar.
There has been a recent increase in accidental retinal injuries due to the careless use of handheld laser devices. The scenarios under which these incidents occur suggest a lack of awareness of the sight-threatening hazards of some handheld lasers. This study aimed to assess knowledge of the population to plan awareness programs and establish protective health policies.
This observational cross-sectional study used a newly-developed, validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire to survey attendees of football matches in Saudi Arabia between September to October 2018.
Five-hundred and sixty-nine attendees were surveyed, and 76% of respondents knew laser pointers were harmful and could damage the eye. However, 73% of respondents did not think that the blue laser was dangerous, indicating poor awareness regarding this particular laser. Only 38% knew which ocular structure is most commonly damaged, and 15.6% did not realize that brief exposure can cause vision loss. Females had better knowledge compared to males. Respondents between 25 and 40 years old, females, and married individuals had the highest levels of a positive attitude. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean knowledge score between those in the medical field and other fields ( = 0.5).
There is an inadequate knowledge of protective measures against handheld lasers. However, there's an overall positive attitude towards spreading awareness about this issue. Yet, targeted awareness campaigns are still needed in addition to more strict government laws to prevent importing or using high-powered handheld laser pointers.
近期，由于粗心使用手持激光设备导致的意外视网膜损伤有所增加。这些事故发生的场景表明，人们对一些手持激光设备的视力威胁危害缺乏认识。本研究旨在评估公众的相关知识，以规划宣传项目并制定保护性健康政策。
这项观察性横断面研究使用了一份新开发、经验证且经过预测试的问卷，对2018年9月至10月期间沙特阿拉伯足球比赛的观众进行了调查。
共对569名观众进行了调查，76%的受访者知道激光笔有害且会损害眼睛。然而，73%的受访者认为蓝色激光不危险，这表明对这种特定激光的认识不足。只有38%的人知道最常受损的眼部结构，15.6%的人没有意识到短暂暴露会导致视力丧失。女性比男性的知识掌握情况更好。25至40岁的受访者、女性和已婚人士的积极态度水平最高。医学领域和其他领域的人的平均知识得分在统计学上没有显著差异（P = 0.5）。
人们对手持激光设备的防护措施了解不足。然而，总体上对宣传这个问题持积极态度。不过，除了更严格的政府法律以防止进口或使用高功率手持激光笔外，仍需要有针对性的宣传活动。
