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Eye-Opening Results from VSP's Children Eye Care Survey

Children's Vision Awareness Study PDF File

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA -Despite studies that show one in four school-age children have a vision problem, a national survey released today reveals that 48 percent of parents with children 12 years and younger
have not taken their child to an eye care specialist for a comprehensive exam.

The survey, which was commissioned by VSP (Vision Service Plan) and conducted by National Market Measures, Inc. (NMM), explores how parents handle their children's eye care. Four hundred parents of children 12 years old and younger were interviewed. The survey measured percentages of children who have had eye exams, as well as the frequency and sources of their care.

"Our concern is that too few young children have received a complete exam by an eye care specialist," said Dr. Catherine Amos, VSP Board Chair and a practicing optometrist in Birmingham, Alabama. "The standard eye chart used in most screenings can detect only near-sightedness. A comprehensive exam is necessary to detect far-sightedness, astigmatism, and other conditions which we know affect far more children. A screening based on an eye chart won't help the far-sighted child who is having trouble reading in school."

"The study also shows that a large percentage of parents are not taking their children for an eye exam because they don't see any apparent problems," adds Amos, "but many eye conditions, such as lazy eye,
have no obvious signs or symptoms."

Another eye-opening result of the survey was that, of the children who
had received a complete eye exam from an eye care specialist, 40 percent needed glasses. An additional three percent had a treatable eye disease and four percent had another problem such as allergies, a scratched cornea or lazy eye.

"These numbers support Prevent Blindness America research which shows that nearly a fourth of all schoolchildren and one in twenty preschoolers need some form of vision correction," said Amos.

The survey shows that 57 percent of the parents surveyed feel that the impact on academic performance is the most important consequence of untreated vision problems. Ten percent of those parents felt that difficulty seeing the blackboard was a serious result of poor vision.

"Most parents recognize the importance of good vision and the impact it can have on their child's development," said Amos. "The survey demonstrates that they're not aware of the importance of a comprehensive eye exam, versus a screening. We think full eye exams should be part of each child's healthcare routine, just as we take children to the dentist for their teeth and the pediatrician for a physical exam."

The survey was conducted among 400 parents of children between 0 to
12 years of age. The maximum statistical error in a random sample of
400 is + 4.9% in a two-way split of the data at the 95% confidence level.

National Market Measures is a full-service marketing and survey research company based in Cleveland, Ohio.