Impact of Vision Impairment and Ocular Morbidity and Their Treatment on Quality of Life in Children

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between public demand for pediatric ophthalmology services and the accessibility of such services on a statewide basis in the United States, focusing on strabismus care.MethodsUsing Google Trends data, search volumes for “strabismus” were analyzed from January 2014 to December 2023. Pediatric ophthalmologist availability was assessed via the American Academy of Ophthalmology directory, normalized for state population size to create a relative demand index. Additional metrics from the United States Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided socioeconomic and health data. Correlation coefficients were used to explore relationships between search volumes, specialist availability, vision screening, socioeconomics, and demographic factors.ResultsThe data revealed variability in public interest in pediatric ophthalmology across states, with Alaska showing the highest relative search volume for strabismus. The data also indicated notable disparities in pediatric ophthalmologist density, with North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming having no pediatric ophthalmologists. A significant correlation was identified between pediatric ophthalmologist availability and vision screening (R = 0.486, p < 0.001). Negative correlations were observed between the relative demand index and urbanization (R = −0.388, p = 0.007), as well as the strabismus prevalence (R = −0.455, p = 0.001), indicating that urbanization and specialist distribution influence eyecare demand and access.ConclusionThe findings highlight disparities in accessibility and demand for pediatric ophthalmology services across the US, influenced by urbanization and distribution of healthcare professionals. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve access to care and bridge gaps in pediatric ophthalmology service provision.

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Associations Between Family Functioning and Social Avoidance and Distress in Patients with Strabismus: A Chain Mediation Model

Wang,

et al. 2024

PRBM

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Purpose Exploring the mechanisms of fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and self-esteem between family functioning and social avoidance and distress (SAD) to inform the promotion of social functioning in people with strabismus. Patients and Methods Convenience sampling was used to select 249 strabismus patients attending a tertiary-level ophthalmology hospital in Wenzhou City from July 2023 to February 2024. The Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, and Family APGAR Index Questionnaire were utilized to assess levels of social avoidance and distress, self-esteem, fear of negative evaluation, and family functioning. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to explore the sequential mediating role of FNE and self-esteem in the relationship between family functioning and SAD. Results Family functioning negatively predicted SAD directly (β=−0.14, P<0.01). Additionally, family functioning predicted FNE (β=−0.19, P<0.01) and self-esteem (β=0.41, P<0.01). FNE positively predicted SAD (β=−0.38, P<0.01) and negatively predicted self-esteem (β=−0.22, P<0.01). Moreover, self-esteem negatively predicted SAD (β=−0.33, P<0.01). FNE and self-esteem mediated the relationship between family functioning and SAD, with a combined mediating effect of −0.249, explaining 63.52% of the total variance. Conclusion This study examined how FNE and self-esteem affect the link between family functioning and SAD in patients with strabismus. These findings complement our understanding of SAD mechanisms in strabismus patients, encompassing familial, cognitive, and emotional perspectives, and offer theoretical insights for enhancing social functioning in this population.

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Impact of Vision Impairment and Ocular Morbidity and Their Treatment on Quality of Life in Children

Cited by 3 publications

References 55 publications

Vision-related quality of life and near-work visual symptoms in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Vision-related quality of life and near-work visual symptoms in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Assessing The Relationship Between Demand And Accessibility For Pediatric Ophthalmology Services By State In The United States

Associations Between Family Functioning and Social Avoidance and Distress in Patients with Strabismus: A Chain Mediation Model

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