Burden of Eye Diseases in Orphanage in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Background: Eye disorders can affect individuals of all ages, potentially leading to visual impairment. Children in orphanages are particularly vulnerable due to limited healthcare access and inadequate eye health awareness. In Nigeria, most healthcare resources for orphanages focus on acute illnesses rather than preventive eye care. Objectives: This study assessed the burden of eye diseases among children residing in orphanages in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, with simple random sampling used to select two orphanages. Sixty-four children underwent eye health assessments, while structured interviews with twenty-nine caregivers assessed their level of knowledge of eye health. A structured questionnaire and interview methods were used to collect data from the respondents. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Findings revealed that 7.8% of children were under one year, and 10.9% were aged eleven to fifteen years. Gender distribution showed 48.4% male and 51.6% female children, with most attending pre-nursery school (21.9%). The most common eye conditions included simple hypermetropia (46.9%), hypermetropic astigmatism (31.2%), myopic astigmatism (7.8%), and simple myopia (6.3%). Conclusion: Age was significantly associated with the prevalence of eye diseases, while caregivers’ age and job position did not significantly affect their attitudes toward eye care. The high burden of eye diseases was attributed to caregivers' limited eye health knowledge and insufficient eye care services within the orphanages.