Visual Impairment and Use of Eye Care Services among U.S. Children

Visual impairment (VI) is one of the leading causes of developmental disability among children. Undetected or untreated ocular conditions can have long-term implications for the quality of life of the child and place a burden on public health resources. Data on children aged <18 years were obtained from the 2002-2010 National Health Interview Survey. Analysis was conducted using SUDAAN to account for the complex survey design. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with VI and use of eye care services. In 2010, the prevalence of reported VI and blindness among children aged <18 years was 2.8%. Among children aged <6 years, 40.1% were reported to have ever had a vision test, and 24.1% of children aged <18 years had visited an eye-care provider during the preceding year. About 29.2% of children ages 6-17 wore eyeglasses or contact lenses, 15.3% of those children used reading glasses only, 26.6% - distance glasses only, and 53.9% of children used both reading and distance glasses. About 2.4% of parents reported that they could not afford to buy eyeglasses for a child. There was a significant increase in use of vision screening and visits to eye-care provider between 2002 and 2008. Significant disparities were found among race and age groups. The lack of health insurance and low family income were associated with under-use of eye care services. These findings present national data on child vision health and may be useful for health professionals and policy makers in preventing and reducing VI.