Compliance with spectacle use among schoolchildren in a school health programme in Islamabad, Pakistan
Summary
Uncorrected refractive error, or the need for glasses, is a major global issue that significantly impacts a child’s education, future economic opportunities, and overall well-being. This article presents the results of a study assessing children’s use of spectacles. The study was conducted in Islamabad, Pakistan and compared the compliance rate between children who received free spectacles right away and those who only received a prescription. The results showed that providing free spectacles made a substantial difference, boosting compliance through ownership to 53.6% in the first group, compared to just 34.7% in the second group. Reasons children did not wear glasses included losing or breaking them, or families lacking the time to obtain them.
While providing free glasses significantly improves usage and ownership, programmes must also include enhanced awareness and education about the value of eye health to maximise the benefits of these initiatives.
This article is part of the supplement ‘Sightsavers at 75: delivering impact through health and inclusion research’ in the journal International Health, published in collaboration with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in celebration of Sightsavers’ 75th anniversary.