Lighthouse Releases Results of Recent Baby Boomer Survey
MOST BABY BOOMERS ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT VISION LOSS AND DO
NOT TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO PROTECT THEIR EYES BUT MANY EXHIBIT
SOME VISION PROBLEMS
Trends show they will be at high risk for serious eye disease in the coming decades
New York, N.Y., August 20, 2007 --- Nearly two-thirds of baby boomers - 62 percent, or 46.9 million people - are not concerned that they will become visually impaired or have vision loss that cannot be corrected by glasses, surgery or medication. However, 12 percent of them (9.1 million) actually report having some vision trouble such as reading ordinary newspaper print even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, according to a survey by Harris Interactive conducted on behalf of Lighthouse International, a leading pioneer in treating vision loss. Furthermore, 14 percent (10.6 million) say they have some difficultly (or are unable to do without assistance) with basic living skills such as cleaning, cooking, bathing, shaving or getting to places outside the home because of problems with their vision.
"This is a wake up call for baby boomers to take their eye health more seriously," said Dr. Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, President and CEO of Lighthouse International. "The findings are especially surprising since baby boomers are a generation known for being proactive about their health. We are on the verge of a national vision loss epidemic and the baby boomers are very much in the spotlight. They are at risk for such diseases as age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma."
Key Facts About the Vision Loss Epidemic
- More than 20 million people now have diabetes, a disease which is growing in epidemic proportions. Diabetes can lead to diabetic retinopathy, which can cause blindness.
- Six million Americans have Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and 13 to15 million are pre-symptomatic for the disease.
- Three million Americans have glaucoma which is the leading cause of blindness among African Americans and Hispanics.
Baby Boomers Not Taking Preventive Measures
According to Dr. Cortes, "Many eye diseases are detected by annual eye exams and can be treated much more effectively the earlier they are diagnosed. If caught early enough some can be prevented."
The national phone survey conducted August 2 -5, 2007 also found that a majority of respondents do not get an annual eye exam - a basic step in vision care.
- less than half (46 percent) of Americans say they get an annual eye exam
- Among this group, 49 percent of whites say they get an annual eye exam, as compared with 37.5 percent of Blacks and Hispanics.
- Only 3 in 10 (71 percent) Americans say they wear sun glasses for eye health. 26% percent of African Americans and Hispanics say they wear sun glasses for eye health. Protective UV sunglasses can lower damage caused by the sun's rays that can lead to such conditions as AMD.
"Everyone over 40 should get an annual exam from an ophthalmologist or optometrist," states Dr. Bruce Rosenthal, Chief of Low Vision Programs for Lighthouse International. "Furthermore, certain populations are at even more risk. Caucasians are more likely to develop age related macular degeneration and African Americans and Hispanics are at very high risk for developing diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, both of which can lead to blindness."
- Only a small percentage of respondents said that they take other important steps for their eye health such as stopping smoking (1 percent) ,eating green leafy vegetables (7 percent ) and exercising (2 percent ) Smokers double their risk of developing age related macular degeneration compared to non smokers.
- Despite saying they are not concerned about vision impairment, 82 percent of baby boomers "would seek services from a vision service agency for themselves or a loved one" if they had vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses, surgery or medication. Among the main reasons they cited are: independence and taking care of themselves (22 percent) and because vision services agencies are specialists (13 percent).
"It is good to know baby boomers would seek our services," adds Dr. Cortes. "Unless they become more proactive about eye health they may indeed need vision rehabilitation services in the future." Vision services at an organization such as Lighthouse International include low vision eye exams by an ophthalmologist, optometrist and other low vision specialists; mobility training; mental health counseling; career services; and training in using computers and new technology and devices to enable the person to read, work, function and live productively.
Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed health care services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Through services, education, research and advocacy, the Lighthouse enables people with low vision and blindness to enjoy safe, independent and productive lives. For more information about vision loss, its causes and what you can do about it, contact Lighthouse International at (800) 829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org
Survey Methodology
This study was conducted by telephone within the United States August 2-5, 2007 among over one thousand adults ages 18 and over, of whom 384 were "baby boomers" (i.e., those ages 43 to 61). Results were weighted for age, race, region and gender where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, and error associated with non-response, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
With a pure probability sample of 1,019 adults one could say with a 95% probability that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1%. For the baby boomers sample of 384 the sampling error would be plus or minus 5 percentage points.
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