The effect of a visual health promotion program conducted by nurse on protecting visual health behaviours of elementary school students

Introduction: The effect of an educational programme developed for enhancing the behaviours regarding visual health among elementary school students is examined. Materials and methods: A randomized controlled pre and post-test experimental design with a prospective follow-up was applied for study. Research was implemented between April-November 2014 in three elementary schools which located in Söke/Aydın district. The subjects were 191 children (experimental group: 98; control group: 93). Data were collected by six forms designed to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of the students, family environment and visual health features of the students determining the properties and eye health of the students, parental attitudes towards the visual health, approaches and behaviors. The visual health promotion program was developed by the researcher. Students in the experimental groups underwent a biweekly and lasted for a four week period training program organized for improving the visual health. Within the scope of the training program, students were given educational booklets and CDs containing eye health information and parenthal awareness. The control group students did not receive such training and were given any educational materials. The collected data were statistically analyzed with t-test, Chi-square analysis, percentages, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test, Logistic regression and Mcnemar's test. Results: The average age of the students was identified as 9±.45 years. After the training program, all the students in the experimental group who should wear glasses all the time, while only 53.3% wore in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p<.05). At the last follow-up, 97.9% of the students from the experimental group and 58.1% of the control group were determined to be examined by an opthalmologist and that this difference was also significant (p<.05). In the experimental group visual health behaviors (the frequency of sunglass usage, disclosing the visual problem to an adult, frequency of time outs during studying, watching TV or using a computer, weekly time spent in outdoors, the level of eye health information, vitamin A consumption, weekly sleep period) increased and found to be statistically significant comparing to control group (p<.05). After the intervention and the follow-up period, estimated size effects of weekly time spent outdoors and weekly consumption of vitamin A have been achieved. According to the results of logistic regression, V the group and the status of the use of glasses determined and be critical and effective variables on the behaviors of the children visiting the opthalmologist (p<.05). Conclusion: The visual health promotion program developed based on Health Behavior Interaction Model and Precede Proceed model are effective in promoting the students gaining behaviors toward protecting visual health. The study results supported the hypotheses concerning eye health protective behaviours. Keywords: Elementary school children; visual health promotion program; nursing; school health; eye health.