Dance-Integrated Eye Health Education in Nigeria

Multimodal, Dance-Integrated Educational Videos for Eye Health Promotion in Nigeria: A Pre-Post Pilot StudyOverview and Research Context: Globally, an estimated 2.2 billion people live with some form of vision impairment, and for at least 1 billion of these individuals, the condition could have been prevented or remains untreated due to a lack of timely awareness and intervention. This burden is disproportionately concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Nigeria, where over 4.25 million people are affected by preventable blindness or moderate-to-severe visual impairment (MSVI). Systemic barriers, poor eye health literacy, and persistent ocular myths (such as the belief that spectacles permanently weaken vision or that traditional herbal remedies can cure cataracts) significantly hinder early clinical presentation and treatment uptake. Traditional health promotion tools (such as posters or pamphlets) often achieve limited success in low-literacy communities. To bridge this gap, this project developed and evaluated a composite, art-based health communication tool: a multimodal, dance-integrated educational video package. By leveraging the cultural resonance, oral traditions, and emotional engagement of choreographed dance, this intervention package aims to make complex clinical messages accessible and memorable across diverse literacy levels.Video Content and Structure: The repository contains four culturally tailored educational videos, each lasting approximately three minutes. The videos were developed by a multidisciplinary team of optometrists, public health researchers, and professional videographers. They feature professional dancers performing choreographed routines synchronized with clear visual displays of clinical symptoms, preventative measures, and evidence-based facts.The four video modules cover: Myopia: Symptoms, risk factors, and the importance of outdoor play and professional correction.Cataracts: Dispelling surgical fears and emphasizing sight-restoring procedures.Glaucoma: Highlighting the "silent thief of sight" and the necessity of early screening.Ocular Myths & General Eye Health: Targeting common misconceptions and promoting routine check-ups.Study Design and Methodology: The immediate post-exposure effects and feasibility of this video package were evaluated in a pre-post quasi-experimental pilot study conducted from April 11 to June 22, 2025. The study followed the TREND guidelines for non-randomized designs.Participants: A cohort of N=438 Nigerian adults was recruited through community outreaches and local optometry clinics across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.Procedure: Participants completed a baseline survey, viewed a randomly assigned video module, and immediately completed a post-intervention survey hosted on digital tablets to measure short-term changes in knowledge and self-reported behavioral intentions.Statistical Analysis: Paired categorical data were analyzed using McNemar's tests, and continuous variables were evaluated with paired t-tests, utilizing Bonferroni corrections to adjust for multiple subgroup comparisons.Key FindingsSignificant Knowledge Gains: Exposure to the video package was associated with a significant increase in objective eye health knowledge scores (an absolute increase of 52.4 percentage points, p=0.013, Cramer’s V=0.069).Increased Perceived Understanding: The proportion of participants feeling adequately informed about eye health rose by an absolute increase of 61.9 percentage points (from 42% to 68% post-intervention, p=0.013, Cramer’s V=0.279).Reduction of the Educational Equity Gap: The intervention’s most profound impact was observed among subgroups with lower educational attainment. Willingness to attend regular eye check-ups rose dramatically from 27.5% to 96.3% (p<0.001) among participants with secondary education, and from 41.4% to 96.6% (p<0.001) among those with primary or no formal education, effectively erasing the baseline "knowledge-intention gap".Behavioral Intentions: Self-reported intentions to adopt protective eye health practices (such as wearing sunglasses, reducing screen time, and scheduling examinations) increased significantly immediately following exposure (p<0.001). A ceiling effect was observed for clinical visitation intent due to the high baseline health-seeking status of the clinic-tested sample.Ethics and Funding: This study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Optometry, University of Benin, Nigeria (Reference: EC/UBEN/LSC.OPT/25/50). Funding for video production and data collection activities was generously provided by VOSH International.Licensing and Reuse: These files are deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. Researchers, clinicians, and public health advocates are encouraged to freely reuse, download, and screen these videos in waiting rooms, primary healthcare centers, or community outreach campaigns to support global eye health literacy initiatives