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Compliance with first time spectacle wear in children under eight years of age
1Orthoptic Department Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, UK.
Insights
Most children under 8 liked their first spectacles, with high compliance. Spectacle fit and peer opinions, not vision improvement, influenced adherence in this pediatric vision study.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Social Science in Health
Background:
- First-time spectacle prescription in young children is common.
- Understanding factors influencing compliance is crucial for effective vision correction.
- Previous research on adult spectacle wear and social perception may not directly apply to young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess compliance rates in children under 8 prescribed their first spectacles.
- To identify factors, including refractive error, visual status, and social influences, affecting compliance.
- To evaluate the social perception of spectacles in young children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective survey of 133 children under 8 years old prescribed their first spectacles.
- Data collected on compliance, spectacle fit, visual status, and social factors.
- Analysis focused on relationships between these variables and compliance.
Main Results:
- High mean compliance (79.5/100) was observed.
- Spectacles were generally well-liked by the children.
- Vision improvement showed little correlation with compliance.
- Spectacle fit and peer comments were significant factors influencing compliance.
- Negative social comments were rare in young children, increasing with age.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric spectacle compliance is generally high and influenced by practical factors like fit and social acceptance by peers.
- Unlike adults, spectacles do not appear to be a major source of negative social judgment for preschool children.
- Interventions to improve compliance should consider social dynamics and ensure comfortable spectacle fit.
Abstract:
An anonymous prospective survey was carried out of children under 8 years of age prescribed a first pair of spectacles from the Royal Berkshire Hospital between August 1995 and May 1996, focusing on compliance in relation to refractive error, visual status and social factors. One hundred and thirty-three children were surveyed. Mean compliance was high (79.5/100) and spectacles were well liked by most children. Improvement in vision had little or no relationship with compliance. Significant factors were fit and what friends said about the spectacles. Adverse comments were rare, especially in the younger children, but increased with age. In pre-school children spectacles did not appear to be the salient feature in negative social judgements that has been found to occur in adults.