ABSTRACT:
Background of the study: Myopia is a prevalent visual impairment that necessitates appropriate treatment and preventative measures, particularly for children. Aim of the Study: The current study aimed to determine the effect of health education on parents' knowledge and practices regarding the care of their children with myopia. Methods: In this study, a quasi-experimental research design was employed. The research was conducted at the ophthalmology clinics of a private eye hospital located in Panipat, Haryana. A convenience sample comprising 200 parents and their children diagnosed with myopia was recruited over a six-month period from the aforementioned setting. Two instruments were utilized for data collection. Tool I was a structured interview questionnaire, administered both pre-test and post-test, and consisted of four sections: Section 1: Parents' demographic information. Section 2: Children's demographic information. Section 3: Children's medical history. Section 4: Parents' knowledge concerning myopia. Tool II evaluated parents' reported practices regarding myopia and was also administered as a pre-test and post-test. Results: The study showed significant improvements in parents' knowledge and practices after the health education program. Parents' knowledge increased from 24% pre-intervention to 100% post-intervention for myopia definition, symptoms (26% to 100%), diagnosis (18% to 100%), treatment (30% to 100%), and prevention (20% to 100%). Awareness of complications improved from 28% to 98% immediately after and 92% at one-month follow-up. Practice scores improved significantly, with mean scores increasing from 2.11±1.33 to 4.02±1.09 after education (p<0.001). Adequate practice levels rose from 10% to 88% post-intervention and remained at 85% after one month. Knowledge and practice improvements showed strong positive correlation (knowledge mean difference = +25.00, practice mean difference = +15.00, p<0.001, Cohen's d = 2.50). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that structured health education plays a significant role in enhancing parents' understanding and caregiving practices related to childhood myopia. Post-intervention assessments indicated notable improvements in both knowledge and behavioral practices, with statistically significant gains observed even one month after the educational sessions. These results highlight the effectiveness of targeted educational programs in empowering parents to adopt proactive strategies for managing their children's visual health. By bridging knowledge gaps and promoting consistent, evidence-based practices, health education serves as an important tool in mitigating the progression and complications of myopia among children.