Parental Knowledge and Child Eye Care Practices in Kebbi State: A Survey of Urban Households

Parental knowledge and practices regarding child eye care are critical determinants of timely recognition and management of childhood ocular conditions in Nigeria. This study assesses parental knowledge and child eye care practices in urban households in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, North West Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive household survey will be conducted among 400 parents or primary caregivers of children under ten years, selected through multistage random sampling across four urban wards. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire will evaluate parents' knowledge of common childhood eye diseases, ability to recognise warning signs of ocular problems, eye care practices including frequency of eye examinations, and response to observed eye symptoms. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests will analyse associations between knowledge scores and sociodemographic predictors. Studies from comparable Nigerian states indicate that parental awareness of childhood eye conditions is limited, often leading to delayed care-seeking and inappropriate use of traditional remedies. Cultural beliefs regarding childhood illness attribution and limited parental education compound the challenge. This study generates baseline data for Kebbi State's child health programming and informs targeted community health education campaigns. Recommendations will focus on incorporating child eye health education into routine child welfare clinics (under-five clinic), integrating eye screening into the Community Health Extension Worker curriculum, and engaging mothers through existing women's health platforms. Improving parental child eye care literacy is a foundational step toward reducing preventable childhood visual impairment in North West Nigeria. Keywords: parental knowledge, child eye care, childhood ocular conditions, Kebbi State, community health