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Vision test validation study for the health examination survey among youths 12-17 years
Insights
Vision tests in children and youths assessed visual acuity and eye muscle imbalance. Myopia testing was expanded for adolescents, including with corrective lenses, due to increased incidence around puberty.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- National Health Examination Surveys (1963-1970) collected health data on children and youths.
- Vision and eye health were key components of these growth and development studies.
- Myopia incidence increases significantly around puberty, necessitating specific adolescent vision assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess visual acuity and eye muscle imbalance in children (6-11 years).
- To evaluate myopia presence and severity in youths (12-17 years), including with corrective lenses.
- To establish baseline vision data within national health examination surveys.
Main Methods:
- Standardized vision testing using Armed Forces Vision-Tester targets and Master Ortho-Rater instruments.
- Children were tested without corrective lenses.
- Adolescents underwent visual acuity testing with and without their usual refractive lenses, plus trial lens assessment for myopia and lensometer readings.
Main Results:
- Established visual acuity and eye muscle imbalance data for children aged 6-11.
- Identified the presence and severity of myopia in adolescents aged 12-17.
- Collected data on corrective lens prescriptions for the adolescent population.
Conclusions:
- The study provided crucial vision data for children and youths within national health surveys.
- Expanded testing for adolescents highlighted the importance of assessing myopia with corrective lenses.
- Findings contribute to understanding vision health trends in pediatric and adolescent populations.
Abstract:
Vision tests were included in the standardized examination given the national probability samples of children and youths in the Health Examination Surveys of 1963-65 and 1966-70, which focused primarily on health factors related to growth and development, as previously described. In the survey among children 6-11 years of age, visual acuity and the degree of eye muscle imbalance were determined using selected Armed Forces Vision-Tester targets in Master Ortho-Rater instruments under carefully controlled conditions, as shown in the first vision and eye examination reports from that study. 3,4 Children were tested only without glasses or other corrective lenses. Because of the reported substantial increase in the incidence of myopia at or around puberty, the vision test battery for the study of youths 12-17 years of age was expanded beyond that for children to include visual acuity tests with their usual refractive lenses and a set of trial lenses used to determine the presence and severity of myopia. Lensometer readings of the prescriptions used in the youths' present glasses or contact lenses were also obtained.
