EFFECT OF TRAINING SESSIONS ON TEACHER’S AWARENESS REGARDING EYE HEALTH OF STUDENTS IN REMOTE AREAS OF PUNJAB: A QUASI EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified childhood blindness as a top priority; as approximately 18.9 million children aged 0-14 years suffer from vision impairment, with 1.4 million being blind. Nearly half of these cases could have been prevented or treated to preserve or restore vision. In South Punjab, access to quality healthcare and awareness of eye health is limited, leading to untreated eye issues in school-going children and poor academic performance. Objectives: Current study was conducted to assess the awareness of public school teachers and to evaluate the effect of eye care training sessions regarding eye health among students, in remote areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology: This is a study that was conducted in public primary schools in remote areas of South Punjab, Pakistan, in which total 92 teachers was collected from 23 schools through multi stage sampling, and data was collected using specially designed questionnaires that were translated into Urdu. Before the screening intervention program, baseline teacher awareness regarding student eye health was evaluated through the questionnaires. The intervention involved educational session and distribution of literature. Post-program questionnaires were administered to evaluate changes in awareness. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data, and the effect of the training session on teacher awareness was checked using a paired t-test. Results: Out of total 92 respondents, majority were females (n=66, 71.7%) and were 20-30 years of age (n=846, 50.0%). Majority of teachers having bachelor’s degree (n=39, 42.4%). Results of paired t-test of awareness of teachers regarding eye diseases and conditions pre and post intervention (-6.28±2.20), awareness regarding warning signs is (-4.69±3.79), Awareness regarding eye care pre and post Intervention (-4.77±2.96) and awareness regarding preventive measures pre and post Intervention (-3.46±2.87). Conclusion: In addition to technical training, educational sessions can also play a vital role in sustaining teacher interest in school-based health intervention programs and have an overall impact on community health. The study recommends that providing training to teachers can be an effective approach to enhancing the eye health of students. Key Words: Eye Health, Awareness, Training Session, Remote Areas, Intervention