Research has revealed that as many as three in four people do not understand the importance of routine eye tests for maintaining good eye health, with men and minority ethnic groups most likely to fall short on eye care check-ups.
Charities Eye Health UK and Thomas Pocklington Trust have commissioned the Eye Q Report as part of National Eye Health Week (NEHW) campaign efforts to spotlight the need for regular eye tests and raise concerns over lack of public awareness of eye care services.
David Cartwright, chair of Eye Health UK, said: ‘The Eye Q Report highlights a significant need to improve eye health equalities and for the generic promotion of eye care services that people can access on their high street. Improving public awareness of the community eye care offering will help improve the nation’s eye health and prevent avoidable sight loss.’
Knowledge gap
Research found 77% of respondents suffered poor eye health in the last 12 months and 52% were disrupted by the quality of vision in their daily life. However, as many as 17.5 million people have not had an eye test in the past two years in the UK. Eye Health UK said the report demonstrated the overarching lack of knowledge among the public about eye health, eye hygiene, such as around contact lenses and makeup use, as well as how to avoid common lifestyle risks.
The issue of screen fatigue was highlighted as an example, as only one in seven screen-users said they followed the recommended 20-20-20 rule, looking away from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 second to exercise eyes, while only 28% adjusted room lighting and four in five do not consciously blink.
Mike Bell, head of public affairs and campaigns at Thomas Pocklington Trust, said: ‘The Eye Q Report has revealed how little knowledge there is about the importance of eye health, including among people already living with some form of sight loss. Looking after your eyes is just as important as looking after the rest of your body.
‘Regular eye health checks can help prevent or limit the damage done by many eye conditions. They can also help identify signs of other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. The message is clear, get regular eye health checks and never ignore changes in your vision.’
The Eye Q Report is based on the findings of a survey conducted by Yonder Consulting between August 24-25, 2022, on 2,077 UK adults aged 18 and over.
Impact of inequality
According to the report, eye health inequality became a clear factor, with ‘people from ethnic minorities twice as likely to rate their vision as poor or very poor compared to the UK average, while people with a household income of less than £14,000 were five times more likely to say their vision was poor or very poor versus someone of a household income of over £83,000.’
Fears about cost was the top reason for not getting an eye test (36%), while many respondents were also has misconceptions around the availability and eligibility of eye care services. It said that 18% of people with sight loss that had not had an eye test were neglecting to get a check-up because they mistakenly believed their hospital consultant was already monitoring their general eye health. Similarly, one in three people were unaware that local practices often offer spectacle repairs for free, and only 36% are informed of emergency eye care services, or NHS appointments for minor eye conditions (35%).
There was a concerning gap in knowledge about entitlement to NHS eye care, with one in 10 over-65s not aware of their entitlement to NHS eye tests, despite the service being free for them since April 1999, said the report. Also, 26% of respondents in Scotland did not know they are entitled to a free NHS sight test, although Scotland extended this free service to its entire population in 2006.
NEHW advice
Eye Health UK recommended the public be better informed on a range of topics, such as: what eye tests entail and the frequency of tests necessary; the importance of understanding family eye health history and how this affects potential future sight loss, such as conditions like glaucoma and myopia; how lifestyle changes can benefit eye health; and increased awareness around red flag symptoms and screen fatigue prevention.