Research
Barriers to Spectacle Use in Tanzanian Secondary School Students
The purpose of this study was to assess the barriers to spectacle use in Tanzanian secondary school students.
A survey questionnaire was administered explore satisfaction with spectacles and the attitudes of trial participants (median age 15 years).
Students seemed happy with the appearance of their spectacles and the beneficial impact on their vision.
Peer pressure and parental concerns about safety of spectacle use, cost of purchasing spectacles and difficulties in accessing good local optical services were identified as the main barriers.
Students criticized prescribing practices of local opticians and favored alternative and traditional treatments for visual impairment.
Barriers such as peer pressure or concerns about safety need to be addressed in order to increase the effectiveness of school vision screening in Tanzania.
This article was identified as a reference for a VII-commissioned systematic review on the Impact of URE on Children.