215908 Economic and Social Disparities reported from the InfantSEE Pilot Project: Causes for Concern

Monday, November 8, 2010

Glen T. Steele, OD FCOVD , Chief of Pediatric Service, Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, TN
Norma K. Bowyer, OD MS MPH FAAO , President, Society of Primary Care Policy Fellows, Morgantown, WV
Data collected from the 2009 CDC-funded InfantSEE® Week Pilot Project identified a growing rate of causes for concern (need for follow-up care) in the visual health of the infant population across the country. Previous data displayed an overall cause for concern rate of one-in-ten; the 2009 data displayed an overall cause for concern rate of one-in-six. In addition, the pilot project identified significant connections between socio-economic income levels and increased rates of cause for concern in three specific categories (visual acuity, ocular motility and binocularity) Through InfantSEE®, participating optometrists provide a one-time, comprehensive eye and vision assessment to infants in their first year of life. These eye and vision assessments offer early detection of potential eye and vision problems at no cost regardless of income or access to insurance coverage. The results of this pilot project indicate a strong relationship between lower household income levels and a higher prevalence rate of visual causes for concern. In three identifiable vision categories: visual acuity, (p < 0.0023) ocular motility (p <0.0019), and binocularity (p< 0.0008) infants from lower household income levels (<$6,000) displayed higher rates of causes of concern than infants from higher levels of household income. (> $26,000) Future outreach efforts should focus on at-risk populations in various geographic and socio-economic locations across the country to provide an early intervention and health promotion program such as InfantSEE®.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Detail the economic and social disparities that exist in infant vision health as discovered from the InfantSEE Pilot Project.

Keywords: Vision Care, Infant Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the current InfantSEE program manager. I was responsible for the overall implementation of the InfantSEE Pilot Project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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