Hispanic children less likely to have had vision tested, as are children with public coverage, uninsured
WEDNEDAY, Nov. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Overall, 63.5 percent of children aged 3 to 5 years have ever had their vision tested, according to a November data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Lindsey I. Black, M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues examined the percentage of children aged 3 to 5 years who had ever had a vision test using data from the 2016 to 2017 National Health Interview Survey.
The researchers found that 63.5 percent of children aged 3 to 5 years had ever had their vision tested by a doctor or health professional during 2016 to 2017. Compared with non-Hispanic white children, Hispanic children were less likely to have ever had their vision tested (58.6 versus 65.4 percent). There was an increase in receipt of a vision test with increasing parental educational attainment. The likelihood of ever having had a vision test was increased for children with private health insurance versus those with public coverage and uninsured children (66.7 versus 61.2 and 43.3 percent, respectively). The likelihood of ever having had a vision test was lower for children who did not have a well-child visit in the past 12 months versus those who did have a well-child visit in the past 12 months.
“Vision screenings are a recommended part of well-child visits in which problems may be detected and timely intervention efforts may be offered,” the authors write.
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