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ABSTRACT
Uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of moderate to severe visual impairment across the globe with myopia as the most common type of refractive error. An important driver for early detection and management of refractive errors among children is appropriate parental awareness and their perception of the use of corrective measures such as spectacles. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed Parents’ awareness and attitude towards childhood refractive errors and the use of spectacle wears. The study was conducted between June and August 2023 in Egor Local Government Area in Edo state. Data was collected from 356 parents and analyzed using SPSS Version 22.0. Approximately one-third (38.2%) reported they have never heard of refractive error and about 11.1% mentioned uncorrected refractive error does not lead to vision loss. A majority (84.8%) agreed that eyeglasses are an effective way to manage childhood refractive error. About 39.3% stated that they have not received any information about child eye health. There was a significant association between awareness level and respondent’s age, religion and marital status (P<0.001, P= 0.038 and P=0.019 respectively). A significant association was also found between the spectacle wear awareness and age (P=0.001), sex (P=0.000), marital status (P=0.012) and educational level (P=0.007). In conclusion, the results of the study show poor awareness and attitude towards childhood refractive error, although, most had high awareness to spectacle wear and would allow their children use glasses at any age when recommended by the doctor.
