Current Developments in Optometry and Vision Science
Articles

Cognizance & Awareness About The Profession Of Optometry Among The Rural & Urban Populations In Northern India.

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  • Rikta Paul
Rikta Paul
Assistant Professor, Department of Optometry, Swami Vivekananda University

Published 2026-03-09

Keywords

  • Optometry,
  • Eye-care services,
  • Primary eye-care,
  • Optometrist

How to Cite

Paul, Rikta. “Cognizance & Awareness About The Profession Of Optometry Among The Rural & Urban Populations In Northern India”. Swami Vivekananda University Press, Mar. 2026, pp. 50-71, https://swamivivekanandauniversitypress.com/index.php/svup/article/view/361.

Copyright (c) 2026 Swami Vivekananda University Press

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Purpose: The major objectives of this study were to determine the level of awareness of optometry among Northern Indians in both rural and urban locations, as well as to measure the amount of awareness.
Methods: Between the rural and urban populations, cross-sectional descriptive research was done. The overall number of participants in this study was 272, including 153 men and 119 women. Data from the participants were gathered through a survey camp using an expanded selfstructured questionnaire.
Result: Out of 272 participants (148 from rural areas and 124 from cities), only 22.3% and 46.6% of the rural and urban participants, respectively, knew what optometry was, while the remaining 77.7% and 37.2% were unaware. Among contrast, participants’ perceptions that an optometrist is an assistant to an ophthalmologist were 3.4% and 4.1% among rural and urban participants, respectively. Only 8.1% and 2.7% of participants recognised the distinction between the two professions. However, only 6.1% of participants in rural areas and 6.8% of participants in urban areas believe that optometrists are trained in the diagnosis and recognition of eye problems, and only 14.9% and 14.2% of participants in rural areas and urban participants, respectively, believe that they can independently prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses. Using the Chi square and NPar tests in SPSS version 27, it was discovered that all variables were statistically significant (p 0.05) for all of them.
Conclusion: These results appear to point to a lack of understanding and familiarity with the field of optometry. There is a need to intensify the campaign in these regions through educational programs, awareness-raising events, posters outlining eye care, social media discussing the obligations and behaviours of eye care providers, and public displays showcasing the optometry profession.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP.9788199956063.2026.50-71

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