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Parents prefer ortho-K for myopia control in children
Among parents in Hong Kong who have children with myopia, orthokeratology was found to be the most popular and widely accepted treatment for pediatric myopia.
In telephone-based interviews with 196 parents responding to two advertisements on two major clinical studies, one on ortho-K and the other on specially designed soft contact lenses, each parent was asked about myopia control using spectacles and overnight wear ortho-K lenses.
Of 196 parents, 110 were interested in the ortho-K project, and 86 in the soft lens study.
Most respondents (73%) were between 36 and 45 years old, 83% were mothers. Eighty-seven percent of parents were myopic and 29% were high myopes, according to the study. Thirty-one percent were current contact lenses wearers, but 68% of parents had contact lens experience.
Parents from the soft lens group were older (28 respondents from 46 to 55 years) than those in the ortho-K group (14 respondents from 46 to 55 years).
The most commonly known treatment for myopia control was ortho-K (86%), followed by progressive spectacles (35%), soft lenses (29%) and under-corrected spectacles (21%).
Most parents, 52%, knew about myopia control by word-of-mouth, 50% from articles in newspapers and magazines, and 35% from information from health care service providers. Finally, the Internet accounted for only 6% of information accrued.
Researchers found that if all three options were equally effective, ortho-K was the most preferred option. However, each group varied significantly in their preferences.
In the ortho-K group, preferred treatment was 49% for ortho-K, 45% for spectacles and 6% for daily wear soft contact lenses.
For all parents, demographics such as age, education and sex did not affect myopia control strategy.