Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
College of Health Sciences, University KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
PLoS One. 2021 Jul 12;16(7):e0254517. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254517. eCollection 2021.
This study aims to understand the key factors influencing guardians' decisions when purchasing spectacles for their children in semi-urban and urban areas of Cross River State, Nigeria, where a spectacle cross-subsidisation scheme will be implemented.
This cross-sectional study was conducted among all consecutive guardians visiting the Calabar (urban), Ugep, Ikom and Ogoja (semi-urban) public eye clinics in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, from August 1 to October 31 2019, and whose children had significant refractive errors (myopia ≤-0.50D, hyperopia ≥1.50D, astigmatism >0.75D) and received spectacles. Guardians were interviewed using a questionnaire which included i) close-ended questions on reasons guardians choose to purchase spectacles for their children in eye clinics, ii) guardians' perceptions of the quality and design of children's current spectacle, iii) factors most heavily influencing their choice of spectacles for children, and iv) open-ended questions to seek guardians' suggestions on how to improve the current spectacle range.
All 137 eligible guardians (67.2% women [n = 92]) who visited the selected eye clinics participated in the study (response rate = 100%), with 109 (79.6%) from semi-urban and 28 (20.4%) attending urban clinics. Guardians from both urban and semi-urban clinics prioritised frame design, quality, and material as the main factors affecting their decision when purchasing spectacles for their children. Female guardians and those with higher incomes were both 1.5 times more likely to emphasise frame quality when describing selection criteria for purchasing spectacles for their children than male guardians (p = 0.01) or guardians earning less (p = 0.03).
Design, material, and frame quality are key factors influencing guardians when purchasing spectacles for their children in these setting and female guardians or those with higher income prioritise frame quality. This study could guide the planning and implementation of a novel cross-subsidisation scheme in Cross River State.
本研究旨在了解在尼日利亚十字河州的半城市和城市地区，影响监护人购买儿童眼镜的关键因素，因为该地区将实施眼镜交叉补贴计划。
本横断面研究于 2019 年 8 月 1 日至 10 月 31 日在尼日利亚十字河州卡拉巴尔（城市）、乌格普、伊科姆和奥戈贾（半城市）公共眼科诊所连续就诊且其子女有明显屈光不正（近视≤-0.50D、远视≥1.50D、散光>0.75D）并配了眼镜的所有监护人中进行。监护人通过问卷调查接受访谈，问卷包括：i）监护人选择在眼科诊所为其子女购买眼镜的原因（封闭式问题）；ii）监护人对子女当前眼镜的质量和设计的看法；iii）影响他们为子女选择眼镜的主要因素；iv）开放式问题，寻求监护人对如何改进现有眼镜范围的建议。
所有 137 名符合条件的监护人（67.2%为女性[92 名]）参与了研究（应答率=100%），其中 109 名来自半城市地区，28 名来自城市地区。来自城市和半城市诊所的监护人都将镜框设计、质量和材料作为影响他们为子女购买眼镜决定的主要因素。女性监护人以及收入较高的监护人在描述为子女购买眼镜的选择标准时，比男性监护人（p=0.01）或收入较低的监护人（p=0.03）更有可能强调镜框质量。
在这些环境中，设计、材料和镜框质量是监护人购买子女眼镜的关键因素，女性监护人或收入较高的监护人更重视镜框质量。本研究可为在十字河州规划和实施新的交叉补贴计划提供指导。
