Do Saudi parents have sufficient awareness of pediatric eye diseases in Riyadh?

Abstract

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to assess Saudi parents' awareness regarding pediatric eye diseases that can be screened and treated. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Targeted participants were selected randomly. An online questionnaire was used for data collection. A Chi-ANOVA test was used with considering a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: Of 1500 participants, 1070 (71%) Saudi adults responded. Most of the participants' knowledge test score about eye health and care was poor (91.9%). The majority of those who had acceptable knowledge were married with 94.3%. Knowledge about the eye problem in diabetes was the highest with 82.8%, then 54.3% had acceptable knowledge about eye emergencies, general eye health with 36.5%, and 26.2% for refractive error problem, whereas knowledge about strabismus, visual deprivation, glaucoma, and eye tumors was lowest (18.9, 16.1, 10.6, and 9.6%, respectively). The most commonly reported sources of knowledge were community members. Those who were at the university level of education had a higher level of acceptable knowledge (64.4%) with a mean of 5.63. Retired participants had the highest mean level of knowledge (7.25). After that, it showed that those in the medical field had the second highest mean level of knowledge (6.55). However, students recorded the lowest mean knowledge score with 2.47. CONCLUSION: The current study found evidence of a lack of awareness among parents about common pediatric eye diseases and proper eye care behaviors. Therefore, awareness programs should be targeting both parents with a focus on mothers. The higher the educational level, the higher the chances of health awareness.

Parents’ Awareness and Attitude Toward Pediatrics Eye Diseases in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In this self-reported cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess parents' awareness and attitude toward pediatric eye diseases. A previous study reported poor knowledge in 78.2% of parents [ 7 ], whereas another study reported poor knowledge among 91.9% of parents [ 8 ]. Consistently, our findings showed that 72.8% of parents had a low level of awareness regarding pediatric eye diseases.…”

“…The results of the previous studies regarding this subject reveal the need for further assessment of the knowledge about children's eye diseases among parents and its associated factors to enhance the improvement of their understanding level [ 7 , 8 , 11 ].…”

“…Each year, 500,000 children worldwide experience blindness in the Middle East; childhood blindness accounts for 4.1% of all blindness cases [ 8 , 9 ]. According to the World Health Organization, blindness can be prevented in 75% of eye disease cases, regardless of age, through therapeutic and preventive measures [ 10 ].…”

“…According to the World Health Organization, blindness can be prevented in 75% of eye disease cases, regardless of age, through therapeutic and preventive measures [ 10 ]. Early detection and parents’ knowledge of pediatric eye conditions and proper eye care are necessary not only because such conditions may result in blindness that can be prevented but also due to the importance of vision in a child’s growth and social life [ 8 ]. However, limited research has focused on parents’ awareness of and attitudes toward pediatric eye conditions and vision loss in Saudi Arabia [ 11 , 12 ].…”

“…Studies have been performed in Riyadh, Arar, and Madinah. They have concluded that parents' awareness and knowledge of pediatric eye diseases in such cities are unsatisfactory and that more education programs are needed [ 6 - 8 ]. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate parents' awareness and attitudes toward pediatric eye diseases in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia.…”