title: Decreasing uncorrected refractive error in the classroom through a multifactorial pilot intervention.
abstract: The study assessed the effectiveness of a pilot intervention to promote the use of eyeglasses in one school in California. The intervention used a one-group pretest, posttest design. Between January and June 2011, during the intervention, all first- and second-grade children received eye evaluations and the children with refractive error received two pairs of attractive eyeglasses. Parents received eye care education. Teachers monitored the use of eyeglasses in the classroom. Prior to the intervention in January 2011, 1 of the 15 children with refractive error (6.7%) wore eyeglasses in the classroom and the remaining 14 (93.3%) lacked eyeglasses altogether; 6 months following the end of the intervention in December 2011, 11 of the 15 children (73.3%) wore eyeglasses in the classroom and the remaining 4 (26.7%) did not (p = .002). The multifactorial intervention increased the use of eyeglasses in the classroom even months after the end of the summer vacation.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Gergana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kodjebacheva
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maliski
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Faye
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oelrich
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002648:Child; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012572:School Health Services; D012573:School Nursing / Q000379:methods; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: early childhood/early intervention; elementary; eye care; health education; parent/family