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Effect of education sessions of a structured school eye screening programme on Indian schoolteachers’ knowledge and responsibility for children’s eye health

Objective: To evaluate the effect of education sessions on Indian schoolteacher awareness of childhood eye health issues, responsibility for children’s eye health, and successful participation in a teacher-led eye screening health intervention programme in primary schools aimed at addressing avoidable childhood blindness in India. Design: Quantitative study, pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys and questionnaires. Setting: One hundred and four government-employed schoolteachers in primary schools of Hyderabad, India. Method: Prior to the screening intervention programme, questionnaires were administered to evaluate baseline teacher knowledge and observed responsibility for management of children’s eye health. The intervention consisted of three one-hour educational training sessions at central community locations about children’s eye health and proper screening practices, followed by on-site monitoring of teacher screenings after a period of 10 school days. Post-programme questionnaires and surveys were administered to evaluate changes in knowledge and attitudes. Results: Despite low levels of pre-programme knowledge and felt responsibility, teachers demonstrated significant improvements in overall knowledge of eye parts and functions, common childhood diseases, and local myths (39.3% to 63.7%, p < 0.01) and significant increases in felt responsibility for children’s eye health (45.5% to 77.8%, p < 0.01) through the course of the programme. Conclusion: Apart from technical training, educational sessions may play an important role in promoting sustained teacher interest in school-based health intervention programmes and overall impact on community health. Urban schoolteachers have therefore been identified as promising candidates in the continued effort to eliminate avoidable childhood blindness in India and other parts of the developing world.