Determinants of Quality of Life Among Patients with Glaucoma at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna

Glaucoma imposes significant burdens on visual function and quality of life (QoL), yet the determinants of QoL among glaucoma patients in Nigeria's North West zone remain poorly characterized. This study investigates the clinical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial determinants of health-related quality of life among patients with glaucoma attending the National Eye Centre, Kaduna. A cross-sectional analytical design will be employed, recruiting 220 patients with confirmed glaucoma diagnoses. Quality of life will be assessed using the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 (GQL-15) questionnaire and the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). Clinical data including visual acuity, visual field mean deviation, intraocular pressure, and glaucoma stage will be extracted from records. Structural equation modeling will be used to examine direct and indirect pathways between clinical severity, psychological distress, social support, and QoL scores. The study anticipates that advanced glaucoma stage, poor treatment adherence, low educational attainment, and limited social support will independently predict worse QoL outcomes. Findings will be submitted to the National Eye Centre to advocate for integrated psychosocial support within glaucoma care pathways. This research fills a significant gap in the patient-reported outcomes literature for glaucoma in northern Nigeria and provides a multi-dimensional model for understanding QoL determinants in this chronic eye disease population. Keywords: glaucoma, quality of life, National Eye Centre, Kaduna, patient-reported outcomes