Barriers to Wearing Eyeglasses Among U.S. Youth

Abstract

Purpose : Uncorrected refractive error (URE) is the most common cause of visual impairment in youth. We aimed to identify barriers to wearing eyeglasses among a contemporary sample of U.S. youth.

Methods : A five question, open-ended poll about experiences with eye problems, refractive correction, and reasons youth do not wear eyeglasses if they need them was distributed to the MyVoice Text Message Cohort of U.S. youth aged 14–24 years (www.hearmyvoicenow.org). Respondent demographics were analyzed. Low socioeconomic status (SES) was defined as receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Text message responses were coded using a modified grounded theory approach.

Results : Out of 1204 recipients, 88.3% (n=1063) responded. Mean age was 20.3 ±2.4 years (range 15-24 years); 58.8% (n=625) were male; 74.0% (n=787) were white; and 41.4% (n=440) had low SES. Many (65.8%; n=699) had experienced trouble with their eyesight, including need for eyeglasses or contacts (63.6%; n=676) or medical eye problems (14.9%; n=158). Some youth (2.4%; n=21) reported vision problems consistent with URE that impacted daily life, e.g. "I've been having blurry vision and not seeing clearly for a while now and I'm worried since I'm driving." Some (14.2%; n=96) had discontinued eyeglasses or contacts, often because youth felt they no longer needed refractive correction (51.0%; n=49; e.g. "I stopped because my eyesight got better"), they were a hassle (14.6%; n=14; e.g. "I no longer use them because they need a lot of care and that annoys me"), or they were lost, broken, or expired (14.6%; n=14; e.g. "I don't wear them anymore because I had broken them about 5-6 years ago"). Concerns over appearance (52.0%; n=553; e.g. "they look dorky") and cost (16.1%; n=171; e.g. "the cost of glasses can be expensive especially without insurance") were the most common reasons youth might not wear eyeglasses if they needed them.

Conclusions : Major barriers to correcting refractive error among U.S. youth include cosmesis and cost. Future work should focus on making eyeglasses and contact lenses that are not only appealing, but also affordable for U.S. youth.

This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.