Attitudes towards contact lenses: A comparative study of teenagers and their parents
published online 18 January 2010.
Abstract
Purpose
This two-phase survey aimed to identify the beliefs and attitudes that create a barrier towards contact lens (CL) fitting among adolescents (aged 12–18 years) and their parents attending eye care practitioner clinics in Italy (phase 1) and Iberia (Spain and Portugal; phase 2). In phase 2, the sample was further focused, by limiting it to those adolescents who did not already wear CL.
Methods
The extent to which CL satisfy aesthetic, visual, and practical needs and their effectiveness, safety, and comfort in the general population and in adolescents was rated by respondents on a 5-point Likert scale.
Results
In phase 1, approximately one-third of adolescents (n=146) and parents (n=114) were CL wearers. Most adolescents (77.5% of 223) and parents (66.2% of 230) expressed a high interest in CL use in phase 2 despite none of the adolescents currently wearing CL. Parents, but not adolescents, perceived that CL were significantly less safe in adolescents than in the general population (p<0.05) in phases 1 and 2. Across both phases, adolescents and parents agreed that CL met an aesthetic need in adolescents (p<0.05 versus general population). Among 50% of parents (mainly mothers), significant concerns regarding CL were difficulties following instructions and taking care of the CL and potential eye damage, which, in mothers, led them to show less agreement towards CL use by the adolescent (p<0.001).
Conclusions
These findings highlight an essential need for improved education on CL use in the population.
aCdL in Ottica e Optometria, Università Roma TRE, Rome, Italy
bDepartamento de Óptica y Optometría, University of Granada, Spain
cThe New England and College of Optometry, Boston, USA
dUniversity Vision Centre, Department of Optics and Optometry, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
Corresponding author at: CdL in Ottica e Optometria. Università Roma TRE, Via Galvani, 6 00153 Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 3409373736; fax: +39 657133143.
1 The members of the CLESG are as follows: Juan J Durban, Nerea Garagorri, Joan Gispets, María Jesús González, Javier Gonzalez Cavada, Jose M. Gonzalez Meijome, Fernando Hidalgo, Antonio López-Alemany, César Villa, Fabrizio Zeri.
ABSTRACT