Awareness of Keratoconus and its Relationship with Eye Rubbing in Children among the Parents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the awareness of parents about keratoconus and its association with eye rubbing among children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The observational cross-sectional awareness study was conducted among parents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between April 2025 and June 2025. A structured and pre-designed questionnaire adapted from a previously validated Arabic version was used to collect demographics, knowledge of keratoconus with eye rubbing and attitudes towards eye rubbing and its potential risks. The awareness level of participants was categorised as poor, fair and good. Results: This study assessed 399 participants, with the majority being females (73.4%), and males were 26.6%. Overall, awareness of keratoconus and its association with eye rubbing was low, demonstrated 79.9% of participants having poor knowledge, 11.5% having fair and only 8.5% having good knowledge. Nearly half of the participants (48.4%) heard about keratoconus, and only 11% correctly identified it as thinning of the cornea. Regarding treatment awareness, just 6.3% identified contact lenses, and 31.1% identified that surgery is the optimal option. In addition, 29.1% of participants correctly knew that eye rubbing causes keratoconus, and it was commonly associated with allergy (30.8%). A significant association was observed between keratoconus awareness and married participants ( P = 0.017), parents of children with atopic conditions ( P = 0.021) and parents of children with underlying eye disease ( P = 0.028). Conclusion: Parental awareness about keratoconus and its association with eye rubbing in children was found low. Future studies are required to validate the findings of the present study.