Shah Ranjan, Paudel Anil, Mishra Sailesh Kumar, Shankar Pathiyil Ravi, Adhikari Pankaj Ray, Singh Amit Kumar, Subedi Anup, Borah Rishi Raj, Shrestha Sabina, Sapkota Yuddha Dhoj, Ghimire Radha Devi
Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Department of Public Health, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
J Optom. 2025 Jul-Sep;18(3):100564. doi: 10.1016/j.optom.2025.100564. Epub 2025 Jul 16.
Many school-going children experience physical, social, and academic challenges due to uncorrected refractive errors. This study aims to uncover the prevalence of spectacle compliance, identify factors that encourage regular use, and explore the barriers that lead to non-compliance.
A retrospective exploratory study assessed compliance with free spectacles provided through the REACH project after three months of spectacles being dispensed. Unannounced visits were conducted across schools to check the compliances of the spectacles. Additional variables influencing compliance were assessed through digitized questionnaires administered. The project targeted students of grade 1-12, ranging from 6 to 18 years of age.
Among the 18,205 children diagnosed with significant refractive error, most of them were myopic, 16,634 were provided with free spectacles, while the remaining children were advised to continue the same spectacles. A total of 10,469 children were present in the school, 62.8 % were compliant with spectacle use. Compliance was notably higher among students with purchased spectacles (77.8 %) compared to those provided free spectacles (55.6 %). Bivariate analysis showed that younger children (ages 6-10 years), private school students, and those with severe refractive errors (high myopia and hypermetropia) had significantly higher compliance rates (p < 0.001). Key barriers included broken lenses/frames (27.7 %), wearing spectacles occasionally (27.1 %), discomfort (10.7 %), forgetfulness (7.5 %), loss (5 %), disliking spectacles (4.1 %), teasing (2.1 %), and parental disapproval (1.7 %).
These findings underscore the need for durable, comfortable, and appealing spectacles, as well as targeted awareness programs for parents and students to address stigma and improve compliance, maximizing the benefits of vision correction for children's educational and personal development.
许多学龄儿童因未矫正的屈光不正而面临身体、社交和学业方面的挑战。本研究旨在揭示眼镜佩戴依从性的患病率，确定鼓励定期使用的因素，并探索导致不依从的障碍。
一项回顾性探索性研究评估了在发放眼镜三个月后，学生对通过“REACH项目”提供的免费眼镜的佩戴依从性。对各学校进行了突击检查，以检查眼镜的佩戴情况。通过数字化问卷评估影响依从性的其他变量。该项目的目标对象是1至12年级、年龄在6至18岁的学生。
在18205名被诊断为患有显著屈光不正的儿童中，大多数为近视，16634名儿童获得了免费眼镜，其余儿童则被建议继续佩戴原来的眼镜。学校中共有10469名儿童，62.8%的儿童依从眼镜佩戴。与获得免费眼镜的学生（55.6%）相比，购买眼镜的学生佩戴依从性显著更高（77.8%）。双变量分析表明，年龄较小的儿童（6至10岁）、私立学校学生以及患有严重屈光不正（高度近视和远视）的学生佩戴依从率显著更高（p<0.001）。主要障碍包括镜片/镜架损坏（27.7%）、偶尔佩戴眼镜（27.1%）、不适（10.7%）、遗忘（7.5%）、丢失（5%）、不喜欢眼镜（4.1%）、被嘲笑（2.1%）以及家长反对（1.7%）。
这些发现强调了需要耐用、舒适且吸引人的眼镜，以及针对家长和学生的有针对性的宣传项目，以消除污名并提高依从性，从而最大限度地发挥视力矫正对儿童教育和个人发展的益处。
