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Spectacle correction positively affects reading fluency in astigmatic students
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Students with uncorrected bilateral astigmatism have significantly reduced oral reading fluency, but when corrected with spectacles, those with astigmatism exhibited fluency similar to those with no or low astigmatism, according to Erin M. Harvey, PhD, and colleagues.
Participants in the study recently published in Optometry and Vision Science were third to eighth grade students and included 130 with no or low astigmatism, 67 with moderate astigmatism and 76 with high astigmatism.
Oral reading fluency (ORF) was lower in uncorrected astigmats than in no/low astigmats, according to researchers. ORF did not significantly differ in no/low astigmats and corrected astigmats. In high astigmats, ORF significantly improved with spectacle correction, but not in moderate astigmats.
Effects of spectacle wear were found in students who read smaller text, usually those in older grades, according to the study.
“ORF improvement with spectacle correction in astigmatic students was dependent on astigmatism magnitude: High astigmats showed significant improvement in ORF with spectacle correction but moderate astigmats did not,” the researchers stated.
In addition, the improvement with spectacle correction in those with astigmatism depended on grade, “with students in higher grades showing greater improvement and students in lower grades showing little improvement,” they concluded. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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