A Call for Vision Screening in Adolescents

An estimated 12% of youth age 12 to 21 have uncorrected distance visual impairment; about half of this group are unaware of the impairment.

Researchers have estimated that 9% of U.S. adolescents age 12 to 19 years have uncorrected distance visual impairment (UDVI; JAMA 2006; 296:2158) and that myopia in teenagers is becoming more prevalent (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Jan 27 2010). To update the estimates, investigators extrapolated from 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 3555 people age 12 to 21 years. UDVI was defined as visual acuity, in the better-seeing eye, of 20/40 or worse that could be corrected to 20/30 or better.

The population-wide prevalence of UDVI was estimated to be 12% among people age 12 to 21 years, with the highest percentage (16%) in 12- and 13-year-olds. UDVI was significantly less common in non-Hispanic whites (8%) than in non-H…

Reviewing Author

Alain Joffe, MD, MPH, FAAP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Alain Joffe, MD, MPH, FAAP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose