Surrati Amal M, Almuwarraee Sarah M, Mohammad Reem A, Almatrafi Sarah A, Murshid Sara A, Khayat Lujain I, Al-Habboubi Hussain F
Family Medicine, Taibah University, Medina, SAU.
Medicine and Surgery, Taibah University, Medina, SAU.
Cureus. 2022 Feb 25;14(2):e22604. doi: 10.7759/cureus.22604. eCollection 2022 Feb.
Background The visual system becomes more susceptible to conditions causing abnormal binocular interaction or blurred visual input as it matures during the first six years of life. Therefore, detection and treatment of visual impairment at a young age can lower the burden of the condition in adulthood. According to estimates, there are 19 million children worldwide with visual impairment, and 1.4 million children suffer from blindness. One of the strategies to address blinding eye conditions and visual impairment is through health promotion. For children, the efficient way of intervention is through parents and their school environment. Therefore, the establishment of an effective health promotion model for addressing childhood blindness requires awareness building of parents and health care practices. Few studies were undertaken in Saudi Arabia to focus on the awareness of parents about childhood eye diseases and visual impairment. The aim of this study is to assess parents' awareness and perception of children's eye diseases in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, from January to December 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was randomly distributed to parents of children aged 15 and younger via WhatsApp. The survey consisted of four main sections: socio-demographic data, knowledge about eye care, knowledge about eye diseases, and eye care practice. Results The knowledge about eye diseases in children was of excellent grade in 20 parents (3.6%), good in 101 (18.2%), and poor in 434 (78.2%). Knowledge was good in 287 parents (51.7%) for amblyopia, 65 (11.7%) for childhood cataract, and 69 (12.4%) for childhood glaucoma. The attitude regarding children wearing spectacles and undergoing ophthalmic surgery when needed was positive in 427 (76.9%) and 474 (85.4%) parents, respectively. Over half of the participants (58.6%) had visited an ophthalmology clinic for the examination of their children. Doctors, campaigns, and social media were the preferred modes of receiving knowledge. Participants aged 51 years or over (p = 0.022), with a higher income level (p = 0.004), of Saudi origin (p = 0.036), and those with a child with an eye disease (p = 0.001) had significantly higher knowledge scores about childhood eye diseases. Conclusion The levels of knowledge, practice, and attitude among parents regarding pediatric eye diseases were unsatisfactory. Health promotion through utilizing parents' preferred modes of media could improve the eye care of children in the study area.
在生命的头六年中，视觉系统在成熟过程中更容易受到导致双眼异常相互作用或视觉输入模糊的病症影响。因此，在幼年时期检测和治疗视力障碍可以降低成年后患该病的负担。据估计，全球有1900万儿童患有视力障碍，140万儿童失明。解决致盲眼病和视力障碍的策略之一是通过健康促进。对于儿童来说，有效的干预方式是通过父母及其学校环境。因此，建立一个有效的解决儿童失明问题的健康促进模式需要提高父母的意识并规范医疗保健行为。沙特阿拉伯很少有研究关注父母对儿童眼病和视力障碍的认识。本研究的目的是评估沙特阿拉伯麦地那的父母对儿童眼病的认识和看法。
本横断面研究于2021年1月至12月在沙特阿拉伯麦地那进行。通过WhatsApp向15岁及以下儿童的父母随机发放一份自填式问卷。该调查包括四个主要部分：社会人口统计学数据、眼部护理知识、眼病知识和眼部护理行为。
20名父母（3.6%）对儿童眼病的知识掌握程度为优秀，101名（18.2%）为良好，434名（78.2%）为较差。287名父母（51.7%）对弱视知识掌握良好，65名（11.7%）对儿童白内障知识掌握良好，69名（12.4%）对儿童青光眼知识掌握良好。在孩子需要时，分别有427名（76.9%）和474名（85.4%）父母对孩子戴眼镜和接受眼科手术持积极态度。超过一半的参与者（58.6%）带孩子去过眼科诊所检查。医生、宣传活动和社交媒体是获取知识的首选途径。年龄在51岁及以上（p = 0.022）、收入水平较高（p = 0.004）、沙特血统（p = 0.036）以及孩子患有眼病的参与者（p = 0.001）对儿童眼病的知识得分显著更高。
父母对小儿眼病的知识、行为和态度水平不尽人意。通过利用父母偏爱的媒体方式进行健康促进可以改善研究区域内儿童的眼部护理。
