Subjects: HEALTH, Clinical Study
Eyes on the Future: 1 in 6 Canadian Parents Have Not Yet Taken Their Child to an Eye Doctor
TORONTO, Aug. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A recent survey conducted by Essilor®, part of EssilorLuxottica a leading global eyecare and eyewear provider, revealed that children's eye health and vision are often overlooked by parents amidst the many other concerns they face.1 The survey, which sampled responses from 1,019 Canadian parents, revealed that while most parents (81.1%) have brought their child to the dentist within the past year, only half (52.5%) have brought their children to the eye doctor over the same time frame. According to research, 80% of all learning occurs through vision, highlighting how critical it is for parents to bring their children for regular check-ups at the optometrist.2
A common vision condition to look out for is myopia, which typically occurs when the eyeball grows longer than it should resulting in objects farther away appearing blurred. While it is possible to help prevent myopia onset and myopia progression, the condition is irreversible once the eyeball has elongated and myopia has developed.
Another study showed that lower physical activity and more use of screen devices contributed significantly to its observed 25% prevalence of myopia with a roughly doubled risk of having myopia if physically active less than three hours/week or if using screen devices more than six hours/day.3 In Essilor's® recent survey, 15.7% of Canadian parents report their child spends, on average, less than 15 minutes outside each day.
Essilor® has launched a new lens called Essilor® Stellest®, which has been demonstrated to slow down myopia progression by 67% on average, compared to single vision lenses, when worn 12 hours a day every day.4
"We know that screen time is increasing, and this has a direct correlation with the rise in myopia for younger generations," says Dr. Debbie Jones, Lead Clinical Scientist at the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), at the University of Waterloo and Essilor spokesperson. "With the increasing prevalence of myopia, it is more important than ever for children to have routine eye examinations. Early detection and management of vision disorders is essential to minimize the long-term impact on a child."
The survey also revealed a direct correlation between a parent's personal eye health experience and their understanding of myopia. 56% of Canadian parents had not heard of the term myopia during the study, and for those who did correctly identify myopia, over half (57.4%) had family members with corrective lenses or wear corrective lenses themselves.
"Eyesight is crucial to a child's wellbeing and success, with research showing that 80% of all learning occurs through vision," says Dr. Jones. "An eye exam for a young child can make all the difference, not only in their early years but their long-term future."5
Essilor® knows how much time and thought parents put into raising healthy and happy children and its goal is to remind parents just how important eye health is to a child's development.
To help Canadian parents, Essilor® has a created an Essilor® Stellest® web portal that parents can visit to learn more about myopia and find an eye care professional near them. Essilor® Stellest® lenses are available at select practices.
About Essilor®
Essilor®, part of EssilorLuxottica's portfolio, is a leader in eyeglass lenses worldwide and the number one lens brand recommended by eye care professionals (ECPs).6,7 It offers a complete range of solutions dedicated to each individual's vision and lifestyle needs throughout their life. Every Essilor® lens is a combination of multiple complementary technologies thanks to its suite of leading premium vision care solutions, including innovative brands such as Stellest®, Eyezen®, Varilux® and Crizal®. For more information, please visit www.essilor.ca.
About the survey
An online survey was conducted March 1st ? 2nd, 2023. Respondents were recruited from an online audience panel on the basis of being a Canadian Citizen between 25 and 55 with a child between the ages of 5 and 14. Geographical quotas were set, proportionally matching the number of respondents from Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, BC, and North. Additionally, 200 French respondents were initially targeted. In total, 1,019 qualified respondents completed the survey.
Were this a probability sample, the margin of error would be +/- 3% with 95% confidence.
Contact details:
Simrin Bains, PR Consultant, Proof Strategies
Email: [email protected]
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1 Euromonitor, Eyewear 2018 edition, Essilor International SA Company; Retail value sales at RSP.
2 Eyeglasses for Global Development: Bringing the Visual Divide; World Economic Forum, Social Entrepreuners, EYElliance; June 2016.
3 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.14242
4 Bao, J., Huang, Y., Li, X., Yang, A., Zhou, F., Wu, J., Wang, C., Li, Y., Lim, E.W., Spiegel, D.P., Drobe, B., Chen, H., 2022. Spectacle Lenses With Aspherical Lenslets for Myopia Control vs Single-Vision Spectacle Lenses: A Randomized Clinical Trial, in China. JAMA Ophthalmol. 140(5), 472?478. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0401
5 Eyeglasses for Global Development: Bringing the Visual Divide; World Economic Forum, Social Entrepreuners, EYElliance; June 2016.
6 Source: Euromonitor, Eyewear 2023 edition; Essilor International company; worldwide retail value sales at RSP.
7 Quantitative research conducted among a representative sample of 958 independent ECPs by CSA in February 2019 ? France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, Canada, Brazil, China, India.
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