Media-based health promotion for child eye health education: A mini review

Abstract

Background: Childhood visual impairment, largely stemming from preventable or correctable conditions such as uncorrected refractive errors, remains a significant global public health challenge. School-based vision screening programs are effective for identification, but their impact is often limited by poor parental and child adherence to follow-up care and recommended preventive behaviors. Health promotion interventions utilizing various media formats have emerged as a strategy to bridge this gap. This mini-review synthesizes evidence from the past decade on the effectiveness of media-based health promotion for educating children and their caregivers about eye health.

Methods: Drawing on peer-reviewed literature, this review examines the impact of digital, broadcast, and specialized print media on outcomes including spectacle compliance, referral adherence, and knowledge improvement.

Results: Evidence indicates that culturally tailored interventions utilizing diverse media channels can significantly improve eye health behaviors. The review identifies that successful interventions are characterized by cultural relevance, community engagement in development, and the strategic use of multiple media platforms to create reinforcing messages. Key findings from the literature include a 12% reduction in myopia incidence through combined health education and outdoor activity programs, the cost-effectiveness of musical messaging in improving referral adherence, and the potential of digital platforms for delivering scalable education.

Conclusion: However, challenges remain in ensuring long-term behavior change and addressing the needs of children with disabilities. Future research should focus on comparative effectiveness studies, long-term sustainability, and the integration of innovative technologies with personalized education to maximize the public health impact of these interventions.