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Contact lens risk behaviors increase in young adulthood
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Substantial percentages of adults and adolescents reported noncompliance with recommended contact lens storage case and lens replacement schedules, according to Jennifer R. Cope, MD, and fellow researchers in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC.
The report was the first-ever population-based estimates of contact lens-related risk behaviors in wearers 12 to 17 years old in the U.S. by the CDC and its release coincides with Contact Lens Health Week, Aug. 21 to 25.
In 2016, about 3.6 million adolescents from 12 to 17 years old, 7.5 million young adults from 18 to 24 years old and 33.9 million older adults 25 years old and older in the U.S. wore contact lenses, according to the survey. Among lens wearers, 90.4% of adults and 87.8% of adolescents reported wearing soft contact lenses.
At least one contact lens hygiene risk behavior was reported by older adult (87.5%), young adult (80.9%) and adolescent (85.3%) lens wearers.
In adolescents, the risk behaviors of not visiting an eye doctor at least annually, sleeping or napping in lenses, and swimming in them were most frequently reported.
Young adults and older adults reported replacing lenses at intervals longer than prescribed, replacing lens storage cases at intervals longer than recommended, swimming and sleeping and/or napping in lenses.
Interestingly, adolescents were significantly less likely to report replacing lenses at intervals longer than prescribed and replacing lens storage cases at intervals longer than recommended, according to researchers. This may be due to parents encouraging proper lens wearing habits and hygiene, they proposed.
A greater proportion of young adults and older adults over adolescents reported ever experiencing a red or painful eye that required an eye care provider visit.
Six out of seven lens wearers reported at least one behavior putting them at risk for a serious contact lens-related eye infection.
“A higher percentage of young adults also reported ever having a red or painful eye while wearing contact lenses, suggesting that poor hygiene practices might lead to complications,” researchers wrote. Young adults may have fewer resources, such as money and transportation, to regularly visit eye care providers and obtain hygiene education or regularly replace contact lenses, lens storage cases and solution, they said.
Prevention efforts should focus on proper lens storage case replacement and avoiding sleeping or napping in contact lenses, they stated.
Encouraging adolescents to adopt healthy contact lens wear and care habits early may help wearers maintain those habits into young adulthood, when the frequency of reported risk behavior increases, the authors concluded. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: CDC reported that it receives an annual contribution from the Contact Lens Institute to support its Healthy Contact Lens Program. The Contact Lens Institute had no involvement in the survey questions, analysis, drafting, or review of this manuscript.
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Cope JR, et al. MMWR. 2017;66(32):843-845.
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