Spectacle wear raises earnings by 33%

Wearing spectacles increases the earnings of people in low-income communities by 33% according to research by VisionSpring, the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC) and Queen’s University Belfast.

The Tradespeople and Hand-workers Rural Initiative for a Vision-enhanced Economy (Thrive) randomised controlled study revealed that the monthly median income of an individual wearing spectacles increased from US$35.3 to US$47.1 within eight months.

The Thrive trial, involving 824 adults in Bangladesh, also found wearers experienced a 16% improvement on a near vision quality of life index, which measured factors such as sense of independence and ease of doing daily tasks.

Dr. Nathan Congdon, Ulverscroft chair of global eye health at Queen’s University Belfast said: ‘The findings demonstrate the power of reading glasses in helping reduce poverty. For the cost of only a few dollars a pair, reading glasses have a significant and sustained impact on an individual’s earnings and help others get back into work.’