August for many children in the United States is the beginning of a brand new school year. According to the recent report from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, vision plays an important role in a child’s physical, cognitive and social development. And, visual functioning is a strong predictor of academic performance in school-age children.
Results from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health report that less than 70 percent of children in the United States are receiving appropriate vision screenings or eye examinations. Children are more likely to receive a vision screening/eye examination as the household income increases.
Minority children are also at increased risk of missing critical steps to ensure healthy vision. The survey found that White, non-Hispanic children are more likely to receive a vision screening or eye examination followed by Hispanics, and Black children. Children who are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have a much lower rate of preventive vision care.
Health literacy of parents and caregivers is also a factor in children’s overall health care. According to the Pediatrics article, “Child Health Disparities and Health Literacy,” low health literacy is a growing problem for Americans, with studies reporting 90 million adults with a limited understanding of basic health information and services. Half of all parents have difficulty reading and understanding patient education materials, and many struggle to comprehend medical advice that is critical to the care of their child, including their child’s vision health.
Prevent Blindness and the National Optometric Association have combined their efforts to declare August as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month to educate the public on the importance of healthy vision for all kids. Prevent Blindness provides free information on a variety of topics including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), recommended sports eye protection, and more on its website. A listing of financial assistance programs is also provided to assist parents and caregivers with access to eye examinations and glasses for their children.
See the full news release from Prevent Blindness.
Source: Prevent Blindness