The Impact of Earplugs and Eye Masks on Sleep Quality in Surgical ICU Patients at Risk for Frequent Awakenings.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep disturbances may contribute to the development of delirium, prolonged ICU stay, and increased mortality. There is conflicting data on the effectiveness of earplugs and eye masks for sleep promotion in the ICU. This study evaluates the impact of earplugs and eye masks on sleep quality in postoperative surgical ICU patients at risk for frequent awakenings. DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Surgical ICU within the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. PATIENTS: Adult, female patients admitted to the surgical ICU requiring hourly postoperative assessments following breast free flap surgery between February 2018 and October 2019. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized into an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received earplugs and eye masks in addition to standard postoperative care, whereas the control group received standard postoperative care. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was overall sleep quality assessed via the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes of patient satisfaction and rates of ICU delirium were assessed with a modified version of the Family Satisfaction in the ICU survey and the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. After a planned interim analysis, the study was stopped early because prespecified criteria for significance were attained. Compared with the control group's average Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire total score of 47.3 (95% CI, 40.8-53.8), the intervention group's average Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire total score was significantly higher at 64.5 (95% CI, 58.3-70.7; p = 0.0007). There were no significant between-group differences for Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU scores or modified Family Satisfaction in the ICU survey scores. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that earplugs and eye masks are effective in improving sleep quality in ICU patients undergoing frequent assessments. The results strengthen the evidence for nonpharmacologic sleep-promoting adjuncts in the ICU.

Blue-blocking glasses as additive treatment for mania: Effects on actigraphy-derived sleep parameters.

Improvement of sleep is a central treatment goal for patients in a manic state. Blue-blocking (BB) glasses as adjunctive treatment hasten overall recovery from mania. This method is an evolvement from dark therapy and builds on the discovery of the blue-light-sensitive retinal ganglion cell that signals daytime to the brain. We report effects of adjunctive BB glasses on actigraphy-derived sleep parameters for manic inpatients as compared to placebo. Hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder in a manic state aged 18-70 years were recruited from five clinics in Norway from February 2012 to February 2015. The participants were randomly allocated to wearing BB glasses or placebo (clear glasses) as an adjunctive treatment from 18:00 to 08:00 hours for seven consecutive nights. Sleep and wake were monitored by actigraphy. From 32 eligible patients, 10 patients in each group qualified for the group analyses. The BB group's mean sleep efficiency was significantly higher at night 5 as compared to the placebo group (92.6% vs. 83.1%, p = .027). The 95% confidence interval (CI) was 89.4%-95.8% in the BB group and 75.9%-90.3% in the placebo group. There were fewer nights of interrupted sleep in the BB group: 29.6% versus 43.8% in the placebo group. The BB group received less-intensive sleep-promoting pharmacological treatment and showed significantly higher sleep efficiency and more consolidated sleep as compared to the placebo group. Our findings suggest sleep-promoting effects through deactivating mechanisms. Adjunctive BB glasses seem to be useful for improving sleep for manic patients in the hospital setting.

Ocular morbidity and utilisation of protective eyewear among carpenters in Mushin local government, Lagos, Nigeria.

CONTEXT: Proper use of protective eyewear (PEW) is important in the prevention of occupational eye injury. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the ocular morbidity and utilisation of PEW among carpenters in Mushin Local Government, Lagos, with a view to promoting ocular health and safety in the workplace. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of one hundred and fourteen (114) carpenters that were enrolled into the study. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on socio-demographics, work-related ocular history, awareness and utilisation of, as well as barriers to utilisation of PEW. Ophthalmic examination was done. In-depth interviews were also carried out to probe the barriers to utilisation of PEW. Quantitative responses were analysed using the IBM SPSS software, and content data analysis was performed for qualitative responses. RESULTS: The prevalence of reported work-related eye injury and complaints were 30.7% and 32.5%, respectively. The prevalence of ocular morbidity among the respondents was 74.6%. Seventy-seven respondents (67.5%) were aware of PEW; only 21.1% owned PEW, whereas the utilisation level was 26.3%. In-depth interviews revealed ignorance, forgetfulness, and unfamiliarity as the key barriers to PEW use. The odds of using PEW were about three-fold with previous eye injury at work and history of eye complaint. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significant prevalence of ocular morbidity and poor utilisation of PEW among carpenters in Mushin, Lagos. There was a significant relationship between previous eye injury or complaint and PEW use. Thus, there is a need to create awareness among carpenters and develop occupational safety policies to improve the use of PEW.

Eye Protection: Survey of Dermatologists and Office Staff.

BACKGROUND: Splash injuries to mucosal membranes during procedures have been well documented in dermatology and carry a potential risk of blood-borne virus transmission. The risk to the ocular mucosa can be minimized with proper eye protection. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of wearing eye protection during dermatologic procedures by physicians, trainees, and office staff in dermatology. METHODS: A Cross-sectional observational study of US dermatologists, residents, nurses, and medical assistants was performed regarding eye protection during dermatologic procedures. RESULTS: The rates of wearing eye protection in every dermatologic procedure are as follows: dermatologists 42.3%, residents/fellows 39.6%, and nurses/medical assistants 25%. Ninety-eight percent of respondents thought blood-borne illnesses could be transmitted by splash injury. The rates of having splash injury during your career are as follows: dermatologists 73.1%, residents/fellows 16.7%, and nurses/medical assistants 50%. The rates of having a splash injury within the last year are as follows: dermatologists 11.5%, residents/fellows 8.3%, and nurses/medical assistants 35.7%. CONCLUSION: The use of eye protection is an important component of the personal protective equipment to help prevent transmission of blood-borne illnesses. Dermatologists and staff should strive to increase awareness and the use of face masks with eye shields or face mask with separate eye protection in every dermatologic procedure.

Floorball-related eye injuries: The impact of protective eyewear.

Several previous studies have shown that floorball belongs to a high-risk group of sports in terms of eye injuries. Protective eyewear is available, but the extent of its use and impact on eye injuries are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current incidence of eye injuries caused by floorball and to compare it with the present use of protective eyewear. Medical records were used to identify all eye injuries suffered while playing floorball in Jönköping County from 2008 to 2011 (N = 167). All these patients were sent a questionnaire that included inquiries about the use of protective eyewear. The study shows that floorball caused more eye injuries than all other sports combined (56%). Prolonged decreased visual acuity was very unusual (0.5%), but moderate eye injuries with some risk of future problems were seen in 62% of the sample. More than one fifth of the injured patients reported some kind of vision-related problem 2-7 years after the original injury. Only one player had been using protective eyewear at the time of injury. Our results underline the importance of protective eyewear to prevent floorball-related injuries.

Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Sun-Safety in College Students.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of sun safe behaviors, as well as to measure knowledge and attitudes toward being tan in a sample of college students. The sample was comprised of 315 college students attending a personal health course. During Fall of 2016, a survey was distributed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of university students regarding skin cancer related behaviors. Students with a friend or family member with skin cancer more often reported thinking that they were at risk for developing skin cancer (48.6 vs. 21.2%, p < 0.001). Despite this opinion, they more often sunbathed (p = 0.008) and had a sunburn (p < 0.001) in the past year. Being in a health-related major did not significantly impact attitudes or behaviors. Future studies can focus further on raising awareness about skin cancer, specifically in college aged populations.

Trends in sun-protection behaviour in Australian adults 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: Almost all skin cancers are the result of overexposure to UV radiation and could be prevented by adhering to a number of simple behavioural guidelines to minimise exposure to the sun. The present study examined trends in sun-protection behaviour among adults living in Western Australia, a region with high levels of UV radiation. METHODS: During five summers from 2008 to 2012, 2076 Western Australian adults participated in annual, cross-sectional telephone surveys that assessed how often they engaged in a range of sun-protection behaviour (seeking shade, staying inside and wearing a hat, protective clothing, sunscreen or sunglasses). RESULTS: Apart from an increase in sunscreen use and a consistently high use of sunglasses, most sun-protection behaviour remained stable at moderate levels during the 5-year period. Seeking shade, staying inside and wearing a hat were all practised at levels ranging between 'sometimes' and 'usually' on sunny days in summer during peak UV hours, with little to no variability across the survey years. Wearing protective clothing was the least frequent behaviour across all survey years and was significantly lower in the most recent survey year relative to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Further efforts are required to encourage greater enactment of sun-protection behaviour, especially on the use of protective clothing and seeking shade during periods of high UV radiation.

Sun-protection practices among undergraduates at an Australian University.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To assess the sun-protection practices of undergraduates at the Australian National University. METHODS: We sent emails with links to the questionnaire on the use of five sun-protection practices in the last fortnight of the summer to 3341 randomly selected students aged 18-24 years in this cross-sectional study. The response rate was 19% and 507 students met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 338 female and 169 male students with a mean age of 20.5 years (SD ± 1.9). Any method of sun protection was used always or often by 32% of respondents. The commonest method used was shade (58%) while the least common was wearing a hat (8%). Domestic students (44%) used sunglasses more than the international students (23%, P < 0.05) and female students used sunscreen (48%) and sunglasses (37%) more than male students (33% and 23% respectively) (P < 0.05). In the 22-24-year-old age group non-medical students (54%) used sunglasses more than the medical students (36%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Only a third of the sample practiced any method of sun protection and there were significant differences in the practices between subgroups, suggesting they were at an increased risk of sun damage.

Compliance With Protective Lens Wear in Anophthalmic Patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the frequency of protective lens wear by anophthalmic patients and identify factors that influence compliance. METHODS: An IRB approved descriptive retrospective chart review of patients undergoing surgery with the senior author (PLC) with an anophthalmic orbit and one remaining sighted eye. Results were tabulated and analyzed using age, indication for procedure, duration of visual symptoms, safety glasses wear, number of postoperative visits, and evidence of new trauma to the remaining eye. All patients underwent counseling on the importance of protective lens wear preoperatively and each subsequent visit. RESULTS: Etiologies for loss of the eye in the 132 study patients included trauma (33.3%), blind painful eye (33.3%), congenital disorders (14.4%), adult-onset malignancy (14.4%), and retinoblastoma (4.5%). At the final visit, protective lenses were worn in the following patterns: full-time (55.3%), frequently (11.4%), occasional (6%), and never (28.8%). The regular use of protective eyewear at last visit was more common in patients wearing glasses at presentation (79.7%), than in those who did not (32.9%; p ≤ 0.001). Increased number of office encounters correlated with more frequent use of protective eyewear (p ≤ 0.01). Patient age (p = 0.95), indication for surgery (p = 0.97), and duration of visual loss (p = 0.85) were not predictive of safety glasses wear. Three patients had evidence of subsequent ocular trauma to the remaining eye, with 2 having resultant decrease in acuity; none of these 3 patients wore safety glasses full-time. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of anopthalmic patients were not wearing protective lenses at presentation. Overall compliance was poor; but repeated education on the importance of safety glasses appears to improve compliance. Educating referring providers and primary care physicians about the importance of early and repeated counseling is vital to increasing compliance.

New organ-based tube current modulation method to reduce the radiation dose during computed tomography of the head: evaluation of image quality and radiation dose to the eyes in the phantom study.

A new organ-based tube current modulation (NOB-TCM) method was designed with the intent to decrease tube current by 30% over a prescribed 90° radial arc across the anterior aspect of the radiosensitive organ, without increasing tube current in the remaining radial arc. We compared a reference scan and five other dose-reducing methods with regard to effects on dose, practicality, and image quality to determine the most effective method for the reduction of the radiation dose to the eyes during CT examinations of the head. We compared the radiation doses to the eyes and physical image quality in different regions of interest for TCM and shielding scans. Three types of TCM scans were performed: longitudinal TCM, angular TCM, and NOB-TCM. A bismuth sheet and lead goggles were each applied for the shielding scan. Relative to the reference scan, the dose to the eye was reduced to 25.88% with NOB-TCM, 44.53% with lead goggles, and 36.91% with a bismuth shield. Relative to the reference scan, the mean signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was decreased to 8.02% with NOB-TCM, 28.36% with lead goggles, and 32.95% with the bismuth shield. The SNR of the anterior region of interest was decreased to 11.89% with NOB-TCM and 87.89% with the bismuth shield. The average figure of merit was increased by 11.7% with longitudinal TCM and 13.39% with NOB-TCM, compared with the reference scan. NOB-TCM is a superior solution for head CT, including the orbital area, due to the reduction in radiation exposure without significant loss in image quality.

[A New Way to Look Up. Solar Retinopathy Risks and Methods of Prevention Prior to the 2015 Solar Eclipse]. / Risiken und präventive Maßnahmen angesichts der Sonnenfinsternis März 2015.

A solar eclipse is an impressive natural phenomenon that was last experienced in Europe in 2006. Last year, on March 20th 2015, a solar eclipse was visible in much of Europe. Solar retinopathy is a recognised potentially sight threatening condition that has been associated with direct or unprotected sun gazing. Public education has been shown to improve behaviour and attitudes that could influence the development of solar retinopathy during an eclipse. We have performed a study through newspapers prior to the 2015 solar eclipse in different European countries, in order to determine the level of public health awareness and attitudes to protection. Methods: 31 online editions of national newspapers were reviewed from six countries where the eclipse was most visible. Solar retinopathy, potential warnings, safe methods of viewing an eclipse and assessment of use and dangers of modern technologies were assessed. Results: All 25 newspapers examined mentioned the solar eclipse and risk to eyesight. Safe methods for viewing the eclipse were discussed in all newspapers. Eclipse eyeglasses were mentioned in 29 of the 31 newspapers reviewed. Children were identified as a high-risk group but advice for children viewing the eclipse varied between countries. Conclusion: Since the solar eclipse of 2006, there has been an increase in the level of education available in the media. Although the safe methods for viewing an eclipse have not changed in recent years, emerging technologies, such as camera phones and the "selfie" trend, have potentially increased the risk of eclipse-associated retinopathy.

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF GOLF-RELATED OCULAR INJURIES.

PURPOSE: The authors aimed to analyze the causes and outcomes of golf-related ocular injuries in this retrospective meta-analysis, literature review, and original case series. METHODS: Forty-one articles identified by PubMed search resulted in 11 included studies yielding 102 subjects. Included articles described all ocular golf injuries that presented to an institution during a determined period. Eight factors were analyzed: age, sex, location and mechanism of injury, protective eyewear use, resulting open-globe injury, resulting enucleation, and visual acuity changes. RESULTS: No subjects wore adequate protective eyewear. Significantly more subjects were injured by golf balls (72%) than golf clubs (27%) or foreign body (1%) (P < 0.0001). The ratio of golf ball to club injuries was significantly higher in adults (92%) than in children (23%) (P < 0.0001). Forty-seven of 93 (51%) injuries resulted in an open globe, whereas 27/82 (33%) injuries resulted in enucleation. The mean ± SD logMAR visual acuity improved by -0.641 ± 0.745 after treatment (>6 lines of improvement; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Reported ocular golf injuries occur less frequently than other ocular sports injuries, but may result in devastating outcomes. Supervision of children using golf equipment should be encouraged.

Visor use among National Hockey League players and its relationship to on-ice performance.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of half and three-quarter visors among National Hockey League (NHL) players and investigate the relationship between skill level and on-ice statistics such as points, penalty minutes and ice time and visor use. DESIGN: All players who played at least one game during the 2014-2015 NHL season were included in the study. Visor usage including three-quarter visor use was determined using official in-game images and video. Player information and statistics were obtained from a statistical hockey database. A multiple logistic regression model was used to study how the different player statistics influenced the probability of a player wearing a visor. RESULTS: Visor use was 87.1% among all NHL players (N=881) and 81.7% among all non-rookie players (N=612). Players who wore a visor were on average younger, played more games during the season, had more points, goals, assists and received more playing time. Players who did not wear a visor had 3 times more penalty minutes for every 100 min played. Only 11 (1.2%) players wore a three-quarter visor and these players were much older and contributed more to their team's offence when compared with the players who wore a one-half visor. CONCLUSIONS: Visor usage in the NHL continues to increase independent of new legislation making it mandatory for rookie players to wear a visor. Based on the results and the logistic regression model built in the study, those players who have the highest risk for not wearing a visor can be identified to help establish targeted interventions.

Factors associated with protective eyewear use among cocoa farmers in Ghana.

To determine the factors that are associated with the use of protective eyewear (PEW) among cocoa farmers in Ghana, a multistage random sample of 556 cocoa farmers were recruited from four districts in the country. A questionnaire was used to elicit information on the use of PEW and barriers to its use among these farmers. Only 34 (6.1%) participants reported using PEW. Being female, old age and perception of good distance vision was associated with lower odds of PEW use. However, higher educational attainment, application of fertiliser and pesticides were associated with higher odds of PEW use. Participants cited non-availability, unaffordability and ignorance/lack of training as the main barriers to the use of PEW. The low use of PEW could be addressed through ocular health education and occupational health and safety policy initiatives.

Outdoor workers and sun protection strategies: two case study examples in Queensland, Australia.

INTRODUCTION: Outdoor workers are at risk of developing skin cancer because they are exposed to high levels of harmful ultraviolet radiation. The Outdoor Workers Sun Protection Project investigated sun protection strategies for high risk outdoor workers in rural and regional Australia. METHODS: Fourteen workplaces (recruitment rate 37%) across four industries in rural and regional Queensland, Australia were recruited to the OWSPP. In 2011-2012, data were collected using pre- and post-intervention interviews and discussion groups. This article presents two workplaces as case study examples. RESULTS: The flat organisational structure of workplace 1 supported the implementation of the Sun Safety Action Plan (SSAP), whilst the hierarchical organisational nature of workplace 2 delayed implementation of the SSAP. Neither workplace had an existing sun protection policy but both workplaces adopted one. An effect related to the researchers' presence was seen in workplace 1 and to a lesser degree in workplace 2. Overt reciprocity was seen between management and workers in workplace 1 but this was not so evident in workplace 2. In both workplaces, the role of the workplace champion was pivotal to SSAP progression. CONCLUSIONS: These two case studies highlight a number of contextually bound workplace characteristics related to sun safety. These issues are (1) the structure of workplace, (2) policy, (3) an effect related to the researchers' presence, (4) the workplace champion and (5) reciprocity. There are several recommendations from this article. Workplace health promotion strategies for sun safety need to be contextualised to individual workplaces to take advantage of the strengths of the workplace and to build capacity.

Assessment of Office-Based Practice Patterns on Protective Eyewear Counseling for Patients With Monocular Vision.

PURPOSE: To investigate the practice patterns of office-based counseling on the importance of protective eyeglasses in monocular patients and to offer our counseling recommendations. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected in the form of surveys. Surveys were administered at an oculoplastic ophthalmology clinic in Michigan. Inclusion criteria included adults with vision of 20/400 or worse in only 1 eye. Survey questions were focused on whether patients with monocular vision recall being previously counseled by their primary ophthalmologist about wearing eye protection. RESULTS: A total of 60 surveys were completed. The average age was 62.2 years old (range: 23-90 years old). Of the completed surveys, 56.7% (34/60) did not recall receiving education about wearing protective glasses over their better seeing eye, while 35.0% (21/60) recalled having received education from their referring ophthalmologist about eye protection, and 8.3% (5/60) were uncertain about receiving eye protection counseling. Twenty (33.3%) patients reported the reason for decreased vision. Of those, 35% (7/20) of patients reported monocular vision resulting from trauma, while 65% (13/20) reported vision loss due to other reasons. There was no significant difference in recall of receiving counseling about the importance of eye protection between the 2 groups (p = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight the current counseling short-comings, as more than half (56.7%) of patients surveyed did not recall being counseled on the importance of protecting their better seeing-eye, or ways of doing so. More counseling on protective eyewear needs to be incorporated into the preferred practice pattern for care of patients with monocular visual impairment because these patients are vulnerable to the devastating consequences of complete blindness as a result of an injury to their functioning eye.

Knowledge, attitudes and practice of dentists concerning the occupational risks of hepatitis B virus in Al Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a well-recognized occupational risk for all health care workers (HCWs) worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, very little is known about knowledge, attitudes, and practice of dentists toward occupational risk of HBV. Our study was conducted to assess the same parameters. METHODS: During February 2012, a cross-sectional survey of 48 dentists with mean age 38 ± 11.2 years was carried out at the primary health care centers in Al Jouf Province of Saudi Arabia. The dentists were asked to fill a valid questionnaire containing their socio-demographic data, and well-designed questions about their knowledge base, attitudes and practice toward occupational risk of HBV. The data were processed and analyzed using the SPSS (version 17) (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) program and the level of significance were set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Response rate of 85.4% yielded 41 questionnaires for analysis. Majority of the dentists surveyed 34 (82.9%) perceived that they are at high risk of contracting and spreading HBV, and 28 (68.3%) had a concern to get HBV. More than half 23 (56.1%) were willing to achieve continuity of care for HBsAg-positive patients. The vast majority 39 (95.1%) believed that HBV vaccine is safe, and 34 (82.9%) were vaccinated. Less than half 17 (41.5%) recognized that HBV is resistant to alcohol and some detergents. During surgical procedures, only 14 (34.1%) always use double gloves and 19 (46.3%) always use goggles. Almost all dentists surveyed were willing to subscribe in a regular training programs about HBV. CONCLUSION: More education focusing on occupational risk of HBV is recommended for dentists.

Ocular health practices by dental surgeons in Southern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Dental professionals are among the occupational groups that experience ocular injuries and problems as they perform their daily dental works. The purpose of the study was to determine the ocular health practices by dental surgeons in Southern Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on dental surgeons working in Southern Nigerian tertiary oral healthcare centers using self-developed validated questionnaire as the tool of data collection. RESULTS: Of the 148 respondents, 27 (18.2%) rated their ocular health as poor/fair. More than half 82 (55.4%) of the respondents have undergone professional eye examination with a quarter 20 (24.3%) of them having received it, in the last 6 months. Symptomatic care was the major reason for the last visit. Medicated glasses use was found to be significantly associated with perception of ocular health and receipt of professional eye examination. A total of 32 (21.6%) and 2 (1.4%) of the respondents reported non-use of eye goggles and face mask respectively. Non-availability and associated visual clarity with goggle use were the main inhibitor to the regular safety eye goggles use among the respondents. The main suggested ways among the respondents of improving goggle use were training and provision of goggles free of charge for dental surgeons. Only 32 (21.6%) of the respondents would be uncomfortable reminding their colleagues on need to use safety eye goggle while attending to patients. CONCLUSION: Data from this study revealed that a significant proportion of the respondents rated the ocular health as excellent/good and do not regularly indulge in eye safety practices. Implementation of recommendation by the respondents may improve occupational eye safety among dental surgeons in Southern Nigeria.

Systematic review and meta-analysis on prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with ocular protection practices among welders in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Due to hazardous working conditions, welders are more likely to be exposed to mild to severe eye issues during the welding process. Globally, this issue is a major contributor to vision loss and blindness. One of the most frequent causes of unilateral blindness in the globe is ocular injury. Objective: This review aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of ocular protection practice and associated factors among welders in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Databases including PubMed, Scopus, web of Science, Google Scholar, and the African Journals Online were systematically searched for relevant literature. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA data analysis software version 14, while Microsoft Excel was used for data abstraction. We checked publication bias using a funnel plot and Egger and Begg regression tests. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant, suggesting the presence of presence publication bias. The I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity between studies. The study's overall effect was evaluated using the random effects model. Results: From retrieved 2,326 original studies, 17 studies were included in the final pooled prevalence analysis. The overall prevalence of ocular protection practice among small-scale welders in sub-Saharan Africa was 53.71% (95% CI: 42.54, 64.88). Having pre and in-service training [AOR: 4.97, 95% CI: (2.64, 9.36)], having work experience as a welder [AOR: 4.94, 95% CI: (3.24, 7.54)], and having a history of ocular injury [AOR: 2.99, 95% CI: (1.58, 5.66)] were significantly associated with the ocular protection practices. Conclusions: In sub-Saharan African countries, the ocular protection practices among small-scale welders were low. Furthermore, the current meta-analysis found ocular protection practice to be significantly associated with on-the-job training, work experience of welders, and a history of ocular injury in the past year of small-scale welders in sub-Saharan Africa. This review will serve as baseline data for further studies to generate inputs for eye care providers and policymakers to improve good practice levels about ocular protection. Policies should be put in place to ensure all welders use proper personal-protective equipment, and receive regular health training.