Utility values and myopia in teenage school students

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Myopia is a prevalent refractive error among adolescents globally.
• Understanding the quality of life and utility values associated with myopia is crucial for public health interventions.
• Previous research has explored myopia's impact, but specific utility values in Asian adolescent populations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the utility values of myopic teenage students in Singapore.
• To explore the relationship between utility values and demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors in this population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 699 myopic students aged 15-18 years in Singapore.
• Utility values were assessed using the time trade-off (TTO) and standard gamble (SG) methods.
• Data on visual acuity, spectacle/contact lens use, socioeconomic status, and educational stream were collected.

Main Results:

• The mean TTO utility value was 0.93 and the mean SG utility value was 0.85.
• Better presenting visual acuity was associated with lower TTO utility values.
• Higher family income and a more academic educational stream correlated positively with higher utility values (SG and TTO).

Conclusions:

• Myopic students with better visual acuity, those using corrective lenses, from higher-income families, in academic streams, and non-Muslims reported higher utility values.
• These findings suggest that socioeconomic and educational factors significantly influence the perceived quality of life in myopic adolescents.
• The study provides valuable insights for health policy and interventions aimed at improving the well-being of young people with myopia.