Parental knowledge and awareness on children’s visual health and visual screening in Malta

Abstract

Purpose: Parents are pivotal in whether young children receive timely vision screening and eye care. Despite this, in Malta, little is known about parental awareness, knowledge and beliefs regarding children’s eye health and screening pathways. Methodology: A cross-sectional, quantitative approach via an online survey of parents/guardians of 3 to 6-year-olds in Malta assessed parental awareness, knowledge and beliefs regarding children’s eye health and eye health services. Convenience sampling was used. The quantitative data was analysed using IBM SPSS software Version 29 for Windows. Results: A total of 300 parents or guardians participated. Overall, 58.7% of children had previously an eye or vision test, while 41.3% had not. Notably, 26.3% of 6-year-olds had never been tested within school health services. The mean parental composite knowledge score was 1.27/5 (SD 0.84), indicating low awareness of key topics such as the abnormality of eye turns in early childhood and the benefits of early wearing eyeglasses. Knowledge did not differ significantly by parental education level (p=0.47) or socioeconomic level. Commonly reported barriers included the belief that the child is “too young” for testing and uncertainty about how or where to arrange an appointment. Perceived susceptibility (parental concern) and disability status were positively associated with test uptake. Conclusions: Maltese parents and guardians show limited knowledge and uneven engagement with children’s eye care. Public-health action should prioritise orthoptic-led, school-entry screening at 4–5 years with clear referral pathways as well as a universal parent educative courses which emphasise asymptomatic conditions (e.g., amblyopia) and how to access services. This aligns with international best practice and can reduce preventable visual impairment in Maltese children.