Objective 28-2
Vision Screening for Children (age 5 and under)
Increase the proportion of preschool children aged 5 years and under who receive vision screening.
Many vision problems begin well before children reach school. Every effort must be made to ensure that, before they reach age 5 years, children receive a screening exam from their health care provider. Early recognition of disease results in more effective treatment that can be sight saving or even life saving.
Data Source
Baseline: 36 percent of children aged 5 years and under had ever had their vision screened in 2002.
Target: 52 percent of children aged 5 years and under.
Target setting method: Better than the best.
Data source: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Operational definition: This is a valuable tool that allows individuals to set measurable Healthy Vision objectives for their own communities.
|
Children age 5 years and under |
Percentage of People |
|
|
36% |
|
Race and ethnicity |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native only |
DSU |
|
Asian or Pacific Islander only |
DNA |
|
Asian only |
31% |
|
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only |
DSU |
|
Black or African American only |
43% |
|
White only |
35% |
|
2 or more races |
48% |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native; White |
DSU |
|
Black or African American; White |
51% |
|
Hispanic or Latino |
33% |
|
Non Hispanic or Latino |
37% |
|
Black or African American only, not Hisp/Latino |
43% |
|
White only, not Hispanic or Latino |
36% |
|
Gender |
|
Female |
35% |
|
Male |
38% |
|
Family income level |
|
Poor |
35% |
|
Near poor |
38% |
|
Middle/high income |
36% |
|
Disability Status |
|
Persons with disabilities |
64% |
|
Persons without disabilities |
35% |
Legend:
DNA = Data have not been analyzed.
DNC = Data for specific population are not collected.
DSU = Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.
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Organizational Resources
If your organization has materials and/or programs to support this objective,contact Linda Huss lmh@nei.nih.gov.
The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
655 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94109-1336
Phone: (415) 561-8500
Fax: (415) 561-8533
www.faao.org
Contact: Allison Neves, (415) 561-8518
Established in 1980, the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (FAAO)
provides financial support and implements programs that advance ophthalmic
education resulting in the best possible eye care for the public. The FAAO
raises funds that are used to develop ophthalmic educational products and
services, help improve eye care in developing countries through education,
provide access to eye care for medically underserved communities and preserve
the history of ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
International Assistance
In many parts of the world, there are not enough trained professionals to provide quality eye care services. The Foundation, through its international
assistance activities, provides free Academy educational materials to training
programs in developing countries and provides practicing ophthalmologists in those regions with opportunities to
participate in educational and skills transfer courses at the Academy's Annual Meeting.
Ophthalmic Heritage & Museum of Vision
Ophthalmology and the Academy have played important roles in the history of medicine. The Foundation's Museum of Vision preserves
this history and translates it into an educational resource for use by Academy
members, medical historians, researchers and the public as they seek to
understand ophthalmology's contributions to society and address similar
challenges today and in the future.
EyeCare America
EyeCare America provides eye care services to the medically underserved and to those at
increased risk for eye disease through its corps of 7,500 volunteer
ophthalmologists dedicated to serving their communities. More than 90 percent of the care made available
is provided at no out-of-pocket cost to the patients. EyeCare America includes programs that focus on glaucoma,
diabetes, seniors and children, and is the largest program of its kind in
American medicine. Since 1985, EyeCare America has helped more than 700,000 people. For
more program information visit www.eyecareamerica.org
Seniors EyeCare Program . Provides educational materials on eye health and connects seniors with
ophthalmic care at no out-of-pocket cost.
Glaucoma EyeCare Program . Encourages early detection and treatment of glaucoma by promoting
awareness of glaucoma risk factors and providing glaucoma eye exams to
qualified individuals who are at increased risk.
Diabetes EyeCare Program . Provides educational materials that increase awareness of the importance
of yearly, dilated eye examinations for individuals with diabetes and provides
eye care to individuals 65 and older at no out-of-pocket cost.
Children's EyeCare Program . Educates parents and primary care physicians about the importance of
early childhood eye screenings and treatment.
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American Optometric Association
1505 Prince Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: (703) 739-9200
Toll free: 1-800-365-2219 X 4284
http://www.aoa.org
Contact: John C. Whitener, OD, MPH, JCWhitener-OD@aoa.org
The American Optometric Association (AOA) seeks to advance the availability and accessibility of quality eye, vision, and related health care; to represent the profession of optometry; to enhance and promote the independent and ethical decision-making of its members; and to assist doctors of optometry in practicing successfully in accordance with the highest standards of patient care. The Association supports year-round programming to educate Americans about their vision and eye health and encourages people to take steps to preserve and protect their vision. AOA represents over 33,000 doctors of optometry trained in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease and vision disorders, including children's vision conditions.
Resources
- Your Baby's Eyes
- Eye Coordination
- Lazy Eye
- Crossed Eyes
- Sample patient education brochures about are available at no cost by calling 1-888-396-EYES (3937) or see the AOA home page for more information at http://www.aoa.org.
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Children's Eye Photoscreening Program (Lions Clubs International)
300 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842
Phone: (630) -571-5466 x396
Fax: (630) -571-5735
Website: www.lionsclubs.org
Description
Lions Clubs International is a service organization that provides community service and promotes international understanding and cooperation. Individual clubs work with the local community to provide needed and useful health-related programs on sight, diabetes, and hearing.
The Children's Eye Photoscreening Program (Lions Clubs International Foundation) is an exciting service project that presents Lions with an opportunity to work with local eye care professionals and institutions to help make a measurable impact on preventable blindness among children. The program is built upon teams of committed Lions, armed with the MTI PhotoScreener, traveling to day care centers, nursery schools, and other locations where young children are located. The Lions photograph each child. The pictures are interpreted by the Vanderbilt Reading Center or by an experienced interpreting center. Children whose photographs show signs of amblyogenic factors are then referred to partnering eye care providers in their own community for further examination and possible treatment.
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Iowa KidSight
Lori Short, Program Coordinator
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
200 Hawkins Drive, 11206 PFP
Iowa City, IA 52242
Telephone: 319-353-7616
Fax: 319-384-9831
E-mail: ctys@uiowa.edu
Description
Iowa KidSight is a joint project of the Lions Clubs of Iowa and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The project is dedicated to enhancing early detection and treatment of vision impairments in Iowa's young children (target population ages 6 through 48 months) through screening and public education. Visit http://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/IowaKidSight/index.htm for current screening statistics, and further information.
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Louisiana Lions Cubsight Program
Jeff Robinson, State Coordinator
825 Kaliste Saloom Rd., III-100
Lafayette, LA 50508
Telephone: (337) 262-5312
Toll free: 1-866-282-CUBSITE or 7483
FAX: (337) 262-5237
E-mail:jmrob53@hotmail.com
Louisiana Lions Cubsight Program, The Cubsight Program is designed to reduce the incidence of amblyopia in pre-school children. Lion Club volunteers are trained to utilize the MTI Photoscreening camera to screen pre-school children, ages 2-5 years old, in Day Care Centers, Headstart Programs, and private/parochial schools across Louisiana. Since July 1, 2001, the Cubsight Program has screened over 13,130 children and referred over 720 children to local eye doctors for complete eye exams. The Louisiana Lions Cubsight Program is sponsored by the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Louisiana Office of Public Health, and the local Lions Clubs.
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Maryland Society for Sight
1313 West Old Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21209
Tel: (410) 243-2020
Contact: Audrey Novak, mdsocietyforsight@erols.com
The Maryland Society's mission is to prevent blindness and preserve sight for Marylanders. In the Society's Preschool Vision Screening Program, over 5,500 preschoolers are screened each year for the early signs of serious eye disease such as amblyopia and strabismus while they are still treatable. About 10% of the children screened are found to need further diagnosis by eye care professionals.
Resources
The Society distributes the following brochures produced by Prevent Blindness America:
- Your Child's Sight
- Amblyopia
- Strabismus
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Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Tel: (800) 331-2020
Fax : (847)843-8458
http://www.preventblindness.org
info@preventblindness.org
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening training, community and patient service programs, national and state research. For more information, call 1-800-331-2020 or visit us on the web at www.preventblindness.org.
Prevent Blindness America is the nation's largest private screener of children's vision, and has been a pioneer in the field since the 1920's. Last year, Prevent Blindness America screened close to 2.1 million people across the country. More than 12.1 million school-age children, or one in four, have some form of vision problem, which is why vision screening of children is so important. Prevent Blindness America sponsors Children's Eye Health & Safety Month in August, with a focus on early detection of amblyopia and other children's eye problems.
Resources
Children's Vision Facts
Children's Vision Screening
I See You (PB71)
Join the Screening Team (PB85)
Keeping Children in Sight (PB72)
Picture This (PB90)
Taking Steps to Prevention (PB80)
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Sight & Hearing Association
674 Transfer Road
St. Paul, MN 55114-1402
Tel: (651) 645-2546, ext. 18
http://www.sightandhearing.org
Contact: Kathy Webb, kwebb@sightandhearing.org
The Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing vision and hearing loss through screening, education and research. SHA offers a comprehensive preschool screening program in Minnesota, directed at detecting and treating vision problems in 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds.
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