Knowledge, Attitude & Practice (KAP) & associated factors of parents/guardians on Childhood eye care, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Asressie Molla; Berhan Meshesha; Demoze Delelegn; Dr. P. Surender Reddy

Volume : III, Issue : VII, July - 2014

Knowledge, Attitude & Practice (KAP) & associated factors of parents/guardians on Childhood eye care, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Asressie Molla, Berhan Meshesha, Demoze Delelegn, Dr. P. Surender Reddy

Abstract :

Background: KAP Study tells what people know about certain things, how they feel and how they behave.

Objective: To assess KAP & factors related to childhood eye diseases of Dale district.

Method: Cross- sectional (quantitative & qualitative) methods. Hierarchal logistic regression (quantitative), multistage sampling (quantitative) design was employed.

Result: Three-fourth of the respondents diagnose childhood eye disease by other individuals than health professionals, 52.92% of them either don�t know or misunderstand the mode of transmission. Nearly half & 41.0% of mothers/caregivers misperceive that the risk is higher in poorer families & can be completely cured by praying. Two-third of children either received nothing or inappropriate medication. Conclusion: There were misunderstanding, misperception, malpractice and poor health seeking behavior of mothers/caregivers about childhood eye diseases. Marital & occupational status, source & time to fetch water, presence of animals in the near vicinity and waste disposal system are reasons. Awareness creation, tailored behavior change interventions are recommended