Myopia awareness and knowledge among parents in Kumasi Metropolis and Bekwai Municipality

Abstract

Background: Despite parents’ pivotal role in myopia mitigation, published studies investigating parental awareness and knowledge are limited in Ghana.
Aim: Assess parental awareness and knowledge of myopia and related factors to mitigate myopia progression.
Setting: Participants were parents from the Kumasi Metropolis and Bekwai Municipality in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Participants were selected through a double-staged cluster sampling.
Results: Of 747 participants, 500 (66.93%), reported no prior information about myopia, while 247 (33.07%) indicated awareness. Most of those aware (n = 182, 93.81%) demonstrated adequate knowledge. Predictors of awareness included male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 0.534, p = 0.023), training college (OR = 11.041, p < 0.001) and university education (OR = 21.536, p < 0.001), lower monthly income (Ghanaian cedi [Gh¢] 500.00 – Gh¢999.00; OR = 0.389, p = 0.038) and difficulty seeing afar (OR = 1.90, p = 0.023). Knowledge correlated with male gender (p = 0.036), monthly income (p < 0.001), type of work (p = 0.046) and age group (p = 0.042). Community-based approach was most preferred for myopia awareness creation.
Conclusion: There was low myopia awareness but adequate knowledge levels, which significantly correlated with demographic factors. Community-based approach was the preferred myopia awareness creation mode.
Contribution: The study provides insight into parental perspectives on myopia and reveals the preferred mode of myopia awareness and education in the Ghanaian context.