Purpose: To establish if the hygiene practice of contact lens wearers (CLWs) can be influenced by "health belief."
Methods: A nested case-control study based on questionnaires was conducted in Hong Kong over a 17-month period between 45 CLW patients with microbial keratitis and 135 matched asymptomatic CLW volunteer controls.
Results: There was no significant difference between keratitis patients and controls (volunteers) in the perceived benefits of optometrists' instructions generally. When asked specifically, however, keratitis patients scored significantly higher than controls in the perceived benefit of checking initially with the optometrist for the correct method of lens cleaning. Contact lens wearing patients with keratitis were confident that their care of lenses would prevent complications, but this probably represented over confidence in themselves. Patients also scored significantly more neutrally in self-efficacy. Surprisingly, patients were significantly less likely to perceive the cost of lens care as a barrier but did not use their disinfecting regimes properly.
Conclusion: We have found that CLWs still regard their eye care professional as being the most important for giving them advice on hygiene. There is considerable opportunity to educate and influence CLWs in ways to prevent infection, but the advice given must be correct. Continuing education of optometrists is also required.