While a Majority of Eye Care Professionals Recognize the Seriousness of Myopia,
Parents Remain Unfamiliar but Open to Solutions
RICHMOND HILL, ON Canada, Jan. 27, 2021—Recently released global survey results from CooperVision underscore a gap between the concern of eye care professionals and the understanding of parents regarding the growing myopia epidemic and the impact myopia can have on future eye health. Four in five eye care professionals (82%) worry that their young patients will have significant eye health issues associated with myopia as they grow older1 and yet over half (54%) say parents don’t understand these future eye health risks.2 These and other findings are featured in an infographic available here.
402 ECPs and 1,009 parents with children ages 6 to 15 across Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand were included in the Global Myopia Attitudes and Awareness Study.‡
Globally, parents are more familiar with the term nearsighted (i.e. short-sighted) than myopia, though the difference varies from country to country. Whereas at least 8 in 10 parents expressed familiarity with the term nearsighted across all surveyed countries (82-98%), only Spain (91%), Hong Kong (86%), and Australia and New Zealand (90%) could say the same for myopia.3
Once an explanation brought myopia into focus for the surveyed parents, 87% were open to learning more about myopia management solutions.3 They also prioritized ease of use and comfort for their child. After learning specifically about MiSight® 1 day—an FDA-approved* daily soft contact lens designed to slow the progression of myopia in children, aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment4†—the majority (76%) also believe it is safe and easy to use for children as young as 8 years old.3
Nearly three-quarters of ECPs agree a comprehensive myopia management program featuring MiSight® 1 day seems easy (72%) for children and their parents to follow and is an even more convenient (75%) way to manage myopia than other products.1 Ultimately, what many ECPs (92%) find important about offering myopia management is the ability to make a difference in their young patients’ future eye health.1
“In these results, we see both opportunity and encouragement for myopia management globally,” said Jennifer Lambert, CooperVision senior director of global myopia management. “A top priority for us and many of our partners is to close the gap of myopia awareness among parents worldwide. This is an important step toward our vision of myopia management as a standard of care, and it will take teamwork and commitment from industry, eye care professionals, pediatricians, parents and others to succeed. The indication that parents are open to learning about solutions4 once they understand the condition is welcome encouragement that these efforts will prove effective and worthwhile.”
Other highlights from the survey include:
- ECPs identified that the most important reasons for recommending specific myopia management options include having the best clinical results (58%), being the easiest for children to use (44%), and being an approved product (44%) (i.e., regulatory indication to slow myopia progression).1
- 84% of ECPs would consider putting their pediatric myopes into contact lenses that could help slow the progression of myopia.1 1 in 2 ECPs are comfortable fitting myopic children with contact lenses from age 8. This increases to 3 in 4 ECPs by age 10. The average age ECPs are comfortable with is 9.1 years old.2
- Parents prefer their children to be older when starting to use contact lenses. According to parent data, 1 in 2 parents are comfortable with their children wearing contact lenses from age 11. This increases to three-quarters by age 14. The average age parents are comfortable with is 11.7 years old.2
- However, the introduction of MiSight® 1 day nearly triples parents’ interest in a myopia management program with soft contact lenses, rising from 27% to 74%.3
MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are the first and only FDA-approved* soft contact lenses for slowing myopia progression in children, aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.4†
Selected data and insights from the survey were recently presented in a scientific poster session during the 2020 BCLA UK Virtual Conference and Exhibition.
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* U.S. Indications for Use: MiSight® 1 Day (omafilcon A) Soft (Hydrophilic) Contact Lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
Canadian Indications for Use: MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control may reduce the rate of myopia progression in children (6-18) and correct ametropia. Reduction of myopia progression was observed in children with wearing time of 12 hours (8-16 hours) per day, 6.4 days (5-7) per week in a clinical study. Permanent myopia control after lens treatment is discontinued is not supported by clinical studies. MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control are indicated for single use daily disposable wear. When prescribed for daily disposable wear, the lens is to be discarded after each removal.
† Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3 year period.
1 CVI data on file 2019. Global survey by Decision Analyst with 402 ECPs in UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Australia/NZ.
2 CVI data on file 2019. Global survey by Decision Analyst with 402 ECPs and 1,009 parents in UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Australia/NZ.
3 CVI data on file 2019. Global survey by Decision Analyst with 1,009 parents in UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Australia/NZ.
4 Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-67.
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.