Knowledge and Perceptions Towards Vision Screening Among Preschoolers’ Mothers in Egypt: Effect of an Educational Intervention

Purpose As there is no vision screening program for preschoolers in Egypt, the responsibility of screening falls on the caregivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge and perceptions of mothers towards preschooler’s vision screening and the effect of an educational intervention based on Health Belief Model (HBM).Methods A pre-posttest study assessed baseline knowledge and HBM constructs (susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy) among mothers (n = 323) attending four primary health care units via an interview questionnaire. An educational intervention (a face-to-face session followed by targeted messaging) was offered to 74 mothers, with 48 completing a 3-month posttest. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Results Baseline knowledge and self-efficacy regarding vision screening were inadequate, with particularly low awareness of asymptomatic vision problems. Primary perceived barriers included a lack of time and the misconception that preschoolers are too young for testing. Following the intervention, mothers demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge (p < 0.001), perceived susceptibility (p < 0.001), perceived severity (p = 0.030), perceived benefits (p = 0.001), and self-efficacy (p = 0.020). Notably, 56.3% (27/48) of the post-test cohort voluntarily sought clinical vision screening for their children within 3 months.Conclusions Targeted health education significantly improves parental health literacy and shifts risk perceptions. Utilizing theoretical frameworks like the HBM successfully motivates caregivers to seek preventive care, offering a scalable public health strategy in middle-income settings lacking compulsory pediatric screening programs.