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Parent, Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function

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Abstract

Objectives Up to 20 % of school-age children have a vision problem identifiable by screening, over 80 % of which can be corrected with glasses. While vision problems are associated with poor school performance, few studies describe whether and how corrective lenses affect academic achievement and health. Further, there are virtually no studies exploring how children with correctable visual deficits, their parents, and teachers perceive the connection between vision care and school function. Methods We conducted a qualitative evaluation of Vision to Learn (VTL), a school-based program providing free corrective lenses to low-income students in Los Angeles. Nine focus groups with students, parents, and teachers from three schools served by VTL explored the relationships between poor vision, receipt of corrective lenses, and school performance and health. Results Twenty parents, 25 teachers, and 21 students from three elementary schools participated. Participants described how uncorrected visual deficits reduced students’ focus, perseverance, and class participation, affecting academic functioning and psychosocial stress; how receiving corrective lenses improved classroom attention, task persistence, and willingness to practice academic skills; and how serving students in school rather than in clinics increased both access to and use of corrective lenses. Conclusions for Practice Corrective lenses may positively impact families, teachers, and students coping with visual deficits by improving school function and psychosocial wellbeing. Practices that increase ownership and use of glasses, such as serving students in school, may significantly improve both child health and academic performance.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the students, parents, and teachers for their enthusiastic participation in this study. This study was supported by a grant from Vision To Learn and the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute, and NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Science (UL1TR000124). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Ave. 12-358 CHS, MC: 175217, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Rebecca N. Dudovitz, Paul J. Chung & Wendelin Slusser

  2. Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute, Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Rebecca N. Dudovitz, Paul J. Chung & Wendelin Slusser

  3. California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA

    Nilufar Izadpanah

  4. UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Paul J. Chung & Wendelin Slusser

  5. RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA

    Paul J. Chung

  6. UCLA Peds-CHP, Box 956939, 10990 Wilshire Blvd St 900, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-6939, USA

    Nilufar Izadpanah

  7. UCLA Chancellor’s Office - Healthy Campus Initiative, Box 951405, 2231 Murphy Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1405, USA

    Wendelin Slusser

Authors
  1. Rebecca N. Dudovitz
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Correspondence to Rebecca N. Dudovitz.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human Subjects Approval Statement

This study was approved by institutional review boards at both the University of California Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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Dudovitz, R.N., Izadpanah, N., Chung, P.J. et al. Parent, Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function. Matern Child Health J 20, 974–983 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1882-z

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