Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Parents Regarding Children’s Eye Care in Al-Qunfudah Governorate, Saudi Arabia

Background: Visual impairment and blindness have a long-term impact on children. Common causes include refractive error, amblyopia, and cataracts, all of which are preventable. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents regarding children's eye care in Al-Qunfudah governorate, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a convenience sample of 403 parents residing in the governorate of Al-Qunfudah. Data were gathered using a validated, self-administered online questionnaire that required participants' consent and ensured data confidentiality. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used to do the statistical analysis of the data. Results: This study included 403 participants; 41.2% of them were 36-45 years old, 75.9% were female, and 88.8% were married. Most of the participants had had their children undergo eye examinations (65%). A positive attitude about child eye care among the participants was observed in 48.9% of them, while the level of knowledge about eye care and its regular examinations was poor in 60% of the study sample. A significant positive correlation was detected between participants' attitudes and knowledge scores about the eye care of their children (r = 0.238, p-value = <0.001). Older adults (P = 0.004), those with employment (P = 0.004), and those with a history of children suffering from eye problems (P = 0.018) are associated with a positive attitude, while better knowledge is associated with the parent's age (P = 0.007) and higher education level (P = 0.047). Conclusion: The knowledge and attitude of the parents regarding their children’s eye care were suboptimal, and the main reason for conducting eye examinations on their children was the presence of active eye disease and a symptomatic child. Positive attitudes were more prevalent among those aged 36-45 years, employed, and with a higher number of children with eye problems. Those in the age group of 36-45 who had a bachelor’s degree were associated with greater knowledge. There is an urgent need to educate parents about routine and recommended eye screening. Family physicians should conduct opportunistic eye screenings for children who attend primary healthcare facilities and provide parents with educational materials about common eye disorders and children’s eye care.