Introduction: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients attending the medical outpatient department of the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Methods: This study was conducted between November 2007 and February 2008. Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical committee of the hospital prior to carrying out the study. 100 diabetic patients selected by simple random sampling were interviewed with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire. All the respondents had fundoscopy conducted at the eye clinic with the aid of a direct ophthalmoscope. The data was collated and analysed.
Results: The majority of the respondents (85 percent) had type 2 diabetes mellitus, while the rest (15 percent) had type 1 diabetes mellitus. 15 percent of the respondents had varying degrees of diabetic retinopathy. The duration of diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy at a p-value of 0.002.
Conclusion: A few of the respondents had diabetic retinopathy. There is a need to create awareness among diabetic patients on the need for routine ocular examinations.