Parental knowledge of pediatric eye health in an ophthalmology clinic setting: validation and delivery of the EYEE questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop and assess the reliability of a questionnaire assessing parental knowledge on core topics in pediatric eye health. METHODS: In Phase I, the Evaluate Your Eye Education Questionnaire (EYEE-Q) was developed and distributed to ascertain face validity (n = 20). In Phase II, participants completed EYEE-Q twice to determine test-retest reliability (n = 40). In Phase III, EYEE-Q was administered to parents in a tertiary level pediatric ophthalmology clinic to assess knowledge (n = 193). RESULTS: EYEE-Q had good test-retest reliability (Kripendorff's alpha = 0.77). Mean knowledge was 71% on eye physiology, 59% on pediatric vision care, 58% on refractive error, 53% on common childhood eye conditions, and 48% on eye care professional (ECP) roles. Low income, non-Caucasian race, and English as a second language status were associated with poorer scores. CONCLUSION: EYEE-Q is a reliable means of assessing parental knowledge on select pediatric eye health-related topics. Knowledge appears to be suboptimal among parents of children attending tertiary level ophthalmology clinics. ECPs should actively provide educational materials in various languages and formats to promote understanding of medical jargon and patient compliance. The influence of educational interventions on knowledge can be assessed using the EYEE-Q.