JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Across cultures and national boundaries, sight is valued as the most important of the five senses. But new research reveals that across  the world, nearly half of adults (44 percent) share the misguided belief that seeing well translates to good eye health. This and other findings confirm a large global gap between vision care attitudes and behavior which may be preventing people from seeking proper treatment and diagnosis for them and their children.

 
Results of the study are posted online
Gaps in vision care attitudes and behavior are a recurrent theme throughout Global Attitudes and Perceptions About Vision Care, a new survey conducted on behalf of The Vision Care Institute, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company. More than 6,500 adults, ages 18 to 54 in 13 countries including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. were surveyed to better understand the incidence, practice and perception of eye exams for adults and children around the world.

Globally, survey respondents demonstrate a strong belief that good vision positively impacts quality of life. Eight-in-ten respondents (79 percent) believe that improving their vision will impact their enjoyment of life, helping them perform better in hobbies (73 percent), school/career (71 percent), and sports (65 percent). More than seven-in-ten respondents (72 percent) said that improving their vision will also help them feel better about themselves and give them more confidence.

Despite these reported beliefs, however, only half (54 percent) of survey participants have ever had a comprehensive eye exam—an examination conducted in an office by an eyecare professional that checks not just for vision correction needs, but also for overall eye health. More than one-in-three parents/caregivers have never taken their child under 18 years of age for any type of vision assessment.

An executive summary of the survey, including detailed key findings by country, is available at Thevisioncareinstitute.com/globalsurvey.