Quality of life, cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis of provision of spectacles (Pakistan)
On this page
Main objectives
The study aimed to answer the following research questions:
- What is the impact of provision of spectacles on the quality of life of school-aged children?
- What are the costs and cost-effectiveness of school-based screening and provision of spectacles?
- What are the implications of the school-based screening programmes delivered at scale for national education and health budgets?
Overview
The study was conducted to measure the use and wearability of spectacles provided to schoolchildren and to assess the impact of the provision of spectacles on the quality of life of the children.
The study also analysed the costs and cost drivers of including vision screening in integrated school health programmes, and estimated the budget requirements for sustaining and extending the intervention to other geographical locations.
Key findings
Results showed significant quality of life (QoL) improvements because of vision correction with spectacles, especially among children that had good compliance with spectacle use.
Academic performance also improved in children with spectacle correction, with the greatest gains observed in children who consistently wore their spectacles. Parents expressed willingness to pay for future eye exams and spectacles, though cost was identified as a potential barrier to future eye examination and spectacle purchasing.
The findings emphasise the importance of school-based eye health programmes to identify and address refractive errors (REs) and other eye conditions in schoolchildren. The evidence suggests that vision correction and spectacle use can improve children’s quality of life and educational outcomes.
Efforts to ensure compliance with spectacle use among children and consideration of the affordability of vision screening and spectacles are crucial to maximise the benefits from school-based eye health programmes. Future research can look into the long-term impacts of children’s spectacle use and consider strategies that can help with spectacle compliance.
Related research studies
