Analyses found that gender had no association with who selected the frames for the subjects. However, the gender was skewed in this study with females being 1.3 times greater than the number of males. This study found a significant association between gender and the method used by subjects to store their spectacles. The associations were tested using the Chi square test and was considered significant at a level of P < 0.05. The data were entered into SPSS 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and analyzed. The questionnaire covered the demographic parameters, challenges, attitudes and practices on the use of spectacles. The questionnaire had been previously pretested at one of the health facilities in Ilorin, on spectacle wearers who were not included in the analysis. Each subject was interviewed using a prepared questionnaire. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the study was performed in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. The criteria for inclusion in the study were age 18 years or older, current use of spectacles for a period of at least six months, and consent to participate in the study. The participants in this study were spectacle wearers who presented for eye consultations in the eye clinics of the six health care facilities. The six health facilities were located in the cities of Ilorin and Ado Ekiti, both state capitals in Nigeria. This was a prospective, cross-sectional study conducted between May 2007 and December 2008 at six health facilities in Nigeria. The findings in this study are important and will assist stakeholders in the eye care industry to enhance eye care. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge to bridge this important gap. 11, 12Īlthough many studies had been conducted on refractive errors 11, 13 – 17 there comparatively few studies on attitudes and practices among spectacle wearers.
#The spectacle professional#
10 There has been abuse of spectacle dispensing due to a lack of standardization, superfluous prescriptions and distribution by individuals who have no professional experience in eye care or dispensing. Refractive errors are a major cause of visual impairment globally. For example, spectacles are not readily affordable 1, 2, 5 by many who require them and can be a source of ocular discomfort especially when incorrectly prescribed. 1 – 5ĭespite inherent merits such as control over their use, spectacles do pose some significant challenges.
5 Despite the increasing popularity of contact lenses and refractive surgery 7 – 9, the use of spectacles still remains the most popular method of correcting refractive errors. 1 – 6 Other reasons for spectacle wear include eye protection, to conceal eyes defects and as a fashion accesory. Spectacles or eyeglasses are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes, usually to enhance vision. The placement of spectacles when not in use was significantly associated ( P < 0.05) with the wearers’ gender and literacy levels but not with the length of spectacle wear. There were no associations ( P > 0.05) between gender or literacy levels and who selected the frames for the subjects, caregivers consulted for spectacles, and cleaning materials for spectacles. Care and maintaince practices included use of handkerchief, tissue paper, fingers and water to clean spectacles (49.5%) and placing spectacles inside spectacle cases (30.4%). The wearers’ attitudes were comprised of consultations with ‘road side dispensers’ (7%) and permitting other individuals to select spectacle frames for them (26%). The wearers’ challenges included expensive spectacles (43.0%), falling/scratched/broken lenses (29.4%) and fear that spectacles would damage the eyes (23.8%). The majority of subjects (92.6%) had at least secondary education. A total of 214 wearers comprising 43.5% males and 56.5% females aged 18-84 years were surveyed.
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