Abstract

Background: Contact lens is a thin layered optical device designed in a shape to be placed directly over the corneal surface of the eye. This study aims to study the level of awareness of the general public about contact lens care in Saudi Arabia and to explore the relationship between the level of awareness and different socio-demographic factors.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 430 participants were randomly enrolled, comprising 57.9% male and 42.1% female. A pre-tested questionnaire was used in data collection. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to analyze the collected data. The relationship between socio-demographic factors of participants and their level of awareness was calculated using the chi-squared test.
Results: Findings of this study indicated that the general public in Saudi Arabia had a relatively sufficient awareness about contact lens care, where half of them (51.6%) were recognized with a good level of awareness. There was no significant difference between gender and the level of awareness (p = 0.140). Whereas significant differences were observed between age, nationality, and level of education in relation to the level of awareness, as the calculated p values for all these parameters were recorded as < 0.001 Our results found a significant association of awareness rate with the age group of 21 to 30 years, Saudi nationals, and higher educational level.
Conclusion: The level of awareness of the general public about contact lens care was found satisfactory in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between age, nationality, and level of education in relation to the level of awareness.

Key words: Kap studies, contact lens care