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Are there inequities in the utilisation of childhood eye-care services in relation to socio-economic status? Evidence from the ALSPAC cohort
- Source :
- British Journal of Ophthalmology. 92:965-969
- Publication Year :
- 2008
- Publisher :
- BMJ, 2008.
-
Abstract
- Background: Equity of access to eye care in childhood remains poorly researched, and most studies report data on utilisation without any objective measure of clinical need. Participants/method: 8271 participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a longitudinal birth cohort, were seen at age 7, when they underwent a comprehensive eye examination and details of family history of eye conditions, vision problems and contact with eye-care services were obtained. Results: 2931 (35.4%) children had been in contact with an eye-care specialist, and 1452 (17.6%) had received vision screening. Compared with social class I, the prevalence of eye conditions was higher in the lower groups (social class IIIM, IV, V) (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.46). However, children from lower socio-economic status groups were less likely to see an eye-care specialist (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.00) or to use screening services (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.98). Discussion/conclusion: The differences in the trends between socio-economic groups in eye conditions and utilisation of services suggest inequitable access to services. These data highlight the limitations of community-based preschool vision screening, which fails to abolish this inequity. It is important that future research explores the reasons behind these patterns. Compulsory school-entry vision screening, as recommended by the National Screening Committee and the Hall Report may redress this differential uptake of services.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Longitudinal study
Pediatrics
genetic structures
Child Health Services
Vision Disorders
Social class
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Vision Screening
Epidemiology
medicine
Humans
Family history
Child
Socioeconomic status
business.industry
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
eye diseases
Sensory Systems
Ophthalmology
England
Social Class
Family medicine
Needs assessment
Cohort
Female
Health Services Research
Epidemiologic Methods
business
Needs Assessment
Cohort study
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00071161
- Volume :
- 92
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- British Journal of Ophthalmology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f5a351e2a9c5389817ef87629959cf45