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Parental Attitudes on Myopia and Its Progression Among South-Indian Population

by | Oct 1, 2024 | Manuscripts | 0 comments

Yogapriya Vijayaragavan, B.optom

Paediatric Optometrist-Myopia Clinic, Aravind Eye Care System, Chennai, India

 

Introduction

Myopia is one of the common refractive errors, which occurs when there is a conflict between ocular power and axial length of the eyeball. The prevalence of myopia is globally growing and nearly half of the world’s population will be myopic by 2050.(1) As of now, various studies on myopia estimated that myopia is becoming an ever-springing epidemic.The prevalence of myopia seems to be increased in a very tender age group.(2)

Parental attitudes in myopia progression

Furthermore, the progression in myopia is observed to be higher in the Asian population than in other parts of the countries.(2) Parental attitudes on myopia play a major role in controlling the progression pattern. But to be frank, most of the parental attitudes for the myopia progression were observed to be unconcerned. Even their attitude towards the advice of spectacles in kids was repudiated within few minutes after prescribing glasses to the kids.(2)

Parental thoughts on other myopia interventions

Within a few minutes after prescribing glasses to the kids, parents immediately will scruple over contact lenses and the outset of LASIK procedures in kids with the age group of 6 years to 15 years. Parents must be counselled perspicuously on the age criteria to take up those treatments. It is commonly reported that preferable age to take up LASIK procedure is 18 years and is endorsed to people in mid-20’s and above.(3)

Image courtesy: Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/family-sun-love-grandparents-7392843/

Parental assumption on factors influencing myopia

Even now many of the parents believe that their genetics is very strong so that their child will never be wearing glasses in their whole lifetime, but the scenario is upside-down.  Myopia progression is compiled with many factors, not only genetics but the lifestyle of the patient plays the key role in myopia progression. Few parents have aspiration that nutritional therapy would help in controlling the progression pattern of myopia but obliviously, certain lifestyle modification and near vision hygiene creates a bigger impact in controlling myopia than diet and nutrition.(4,5) Now-a-days kids are never getting chance to expose or play outside nevertheless, these kids are very easily enticed to gadgets.When the kid’s parents were counselled about this, the parents will raise questions like HOW, WHY and WHEN. That spurn attitude of parents is literally affecting their kids. As a result, parents are scarcely making the kid wear the glasses. Regular eye examination plays a pivotal role in assessing and managing myopia. For instance, if the child is a spectacle wearer with high myopia, the parents will hardly turn up for the review by not realising its significance. This attitude of the parents must be changed through proper myopia education and positive counselling.

Conclusion

Parent’s positive attitude will help in managing the myopia and its progression. Most of the negative attitude towards myopia is observed in parents with lower education and lower income levels, these parents must be targeted the most to counsel or educate them to create adequate knowledge and parental duties to control the progression of myopia.

 

References

  1. Martínez-Albert, N., Bueno-Gimeno, I., & Gené-Sampedro, A. (2023). Risk Factors for Myopia: A Review. Journal of clinical medicine, 12(18), 6062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12186062
  2. Vashist, P., Wadhwani, M., Singh, S., Gupta, V., Gupta, N., & Saxena, R. (2022). Myopia prevalence in a population-based childhood visual impairment study in North India – CHVI-2. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology/Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 70(3), 939. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.ijo_974_21
  3. https://www.planetlasik.com/blog/lasik-surgery-age-limit/#:~:text=Age%3A%20 Candidates%20should%20 ideally%20be,lasik%20eye%20surgery%20 is%2040.
  4. Centre, M. V. (2023, March 16). Diet and nutrition for myopia management. Mississauga Vision Centre. https://www.mississaugavisioncentre.com/diet-and-nutrition-for-myopia-management/
  5. McCrann, S., Flitcroft, I., Lalor, K., Butler, J., Bush, A., & Loughman, J. (2018). Parental attitudes to myopia: a key agent of change for myopia control? Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 38(3), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12455

 

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