Perception of red eye among senior secondary students in Sagamu, Southwest Nigeria

Red eye is a very common presenting complaint in clinical practice among all age groups, including adolescents. Health habits formed during adolescence is carried to adulthood and is often a consequence of their perception. This study, therefore, determined the perception of students toward the red eye.

To determine the perception of red eye and its associated factors among secondary school students in Sagamu.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 1082 senior secondary school students in Sagamu local government area, using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Relevant descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated.

The mean age of respondents was 15.27 ± 1.48 years. There were more females (54.8%) than males. Majority (81%) had heard of red eye, and this was mainly from neighbors; 58.4% felt they could not contact red eye from an infected person. About 35% would instill onion if they had a red eye. About 50.2% felt red eye could lead to blindness. Awareness of red eye was associated with age (P = 0.005), but not with sex and religion. Among respondents, 95.5% and 96.2% had a poor perception as well as a poor attitude toward red eye, respectively.

The perception and attitude of senior secondary school students in Sagamu to red eye is poor. Appropriate eye health education and promotional services, including periodic eye examination of students, should be carried out in school health services. Early presentation to eye care centers for its treatment should be encouraged.