Age factor affects reading acuity and reading speed in attaining text information

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Visual Science
• Human Development and Aging

Background:

• Reading performance, encompassing acuity and speed, is crucial for daily life and academic success.
• Understanding age-related changes in reading is essential for accurate visual assessments in healthy individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of age on reading acuity and reading speed in individuals with healthy eyes.
• To establish age-specific benchmarks for reading performance.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study measured reading acuity, critical print size, reading speed, and maximum reading speed.
• Participants included 160 healthy individuals across four age groups: children (8-12), teenagers (13-19), young adults (20-39), and adults (40+).
• The Buari-Chen Malay Reading Chart, using contextual sentences (CS) and random words (RW) sets, was employed for measurements.

Main Results:

• Reading acuity improved from childhood to teenage years, then declined in adulthood (CS: 0.06 logMAR, RW: 0.08 logMAR).
• Critical print size improved in teenagers but deteriorated in adults (CS: 0.09 logMAR).
• Reading speed increased significantly from children to teenagers, stabilized in young adults, and decreased in older adults (CS: 28.58 wpm, RW: 24.44 wpm).

Conclusions:

• Age-specific reference data for reading acuity and speed in healthy eyes are established.
• These age-related findings should be integrated into clinical practice for enhanced reading assessments.
• This research provides valuable insights for ophthalmologists and optometrists evaluating visual function across the lifespan.