Knowledge and Practices of Child Eye Healthcare Among Parents in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The majority of causes of childhood blindness are preventable and treatable. There are an estimated 1.4 million blind children worldwide, with roughly three-quarters of them living in developing countries. In most low-income countries, school-age children account for 20%-30% of the total population. Aim: To evaluate parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to pediatric eye medical services in Saudi Arabia's Aseer region.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used targeting all parents in the Aseer region. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed by the study investigators. The questionnaire included parents' sociodemographic data and a family history of blindness or visual disability. Parents' awareness regarding pediatric eye care was assessed using relevant items. The parents' practices and attitudes regarding eye care were also assessed within the questionnaire.Results: The study included 899 parents who replied to the online questionnaire in its entirety. Some 54% of the responding parents were aged 30-50 years, and 51.2% were males. Of the parents, 46.2% had a university-level education, and 48.5% accompanied their children for eye examinations. About 65% of the parents knew about clinics for eye examinations, and 63.3% of them knew that blind children could learn. In total, more than one-third of the parents were aware of pediatric eye care.Conclusions and Recommendations: The study found that parents were aware of pediatric eye health and sought eye care for their children. More effort should be put forth through planned awareness programs to educate parents and assist them in overcoming the fears and barriers that keep them from seeking eye care for their children.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Parents Regarding Children’s Eye Care in Al-Qunfudah Governorate, Saudi Arabia

“…Parents with bachelor's degrees and those aged 36-45 years possessed better knowledge than the others, which was similar to the results of another study [25]. Expectedly, a higher education level and a younger age are usually associated with more opportunities to learn and read about health issues.…”

“…Another study done in Aseer revealed that 48.5% (n = 436) of the respondent parents accompanied their children to eye examinations. Furthermore, for parents who never take their children to an eye examination, the most common reason is that they assert that their children can see well [25]. Therefore, it is very important to design and implement health education campaigns to discuss the advantages of regular eye examinations and early detection of any VI among children and warn them about the probable complications resulting from discovering eye diseases in their late stages.…”

Cardiovascular Morbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

“…The specific disorder included hypertension (44%), valvular heart disease (26%), dyslipidemia (18%), pericarditis (6%), and heart failure (6%). In comparison, a similar local study reported a prevalence of cardiovascular complications at 18%, with specific diseases including pericarditis and myocarditis (14%), endocarditis (11%), myocardial infarction (20%), coronary artery disease (38%), and valvular heart diseases (14%) [ 21 ].…”

Evaluation of Allergic Conjunctivitis Prevalence and Attitude Toward Prevention and Control in Saudi Arabia

“…Ocular allergy (OA), also known as allergic conjunctivitis (AC), is a wide category including a variety of illnesses in which an abnormal conjunctival inflammation occurs in reaction to allergens that are typically innocuous [ 1 ]. It is one of the most common ocular surface conditions treated by primary eye care professionals [ 2 ].…”