European consumers claim to be aware of ultraviolet (UV) rays and their implications but few understand the impact on eyes and the benefits of comprehensive protection, according to data presented at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Phoenix, Arizona last week.
Contact lens wearers and 'considerers' in the UK and Poland were surveyed on the implications of chronic UV exposure, risks of UV radiation to ocular health and the role of UV-blocking contact lenses.
Participants identified their current contact lenses from a list of brands and those wearing UV-blocking lenses were identified. The Johnson & Johnson Visioncare sponsored survey was masked to sponsor identity for the sections on current beliefs and practices and current interest in UV-blocking contact lenses. From the brands reported, 39 per cent of lenses worn in the UK and 40 per cent in Poland had UV-blocking properties.
Over 90 per cent of respondents agreed it was important to protect both their skin and eyes from UV radiation, with UK consumers less likely to recognise the importance of UV protection for their eyes than for their skin. The vast majority, 92 per cent, felt that they were most at risk of UV exposure in the summer months, but nearly half admitted being in the sun did not worry them.
Two-thirds of Polish consumers but only 26 per cent of those in the UK were aware there were contact lenses offering UV protection; 43 per cent of UK wearers, who did not have UV-blocking lenses or were unsure if their lenses offered UV protection, were highly interested in trying them.
'Consumers associate UV exposure primarily with summer and sunny conditions, with few actively helping to protect their eyes from the transmission of UV radiation despite the high level of interest in trying contact lenses with UV-blocking properties,' said study author Anna Sulley, associate director medical affairs for EMEA, J&J Visioncare.