Abstract
Aims
To estimate the direct costs of myopia in Singapore children.
Methods
A cross-sectional study of 377 Singaporean school children aged 12–17 years from one school in Singapore Cohort study of the Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM) was conducted. A combination of parent and self-administered questionnaires asked about the cost of each optometrist visit, spectacles, and contact lenses, transport costs, father's educational level, and total family income.
Results
A total of 377 subjects participated and cost data were available from 301 subjects. The mean annual direct cost of myopia was S$221.7±313.7 (CI, S$186.5–258.1) or US$147.8±209.1 (CI, US$124.3–172.1) and median annual direct cost of myopia was S$125.0 or US$83.3. The mean cost per pair of spectacles was S$123.2±61.2 (CI, S$116.6–129.8) or US$82.1±40.8 (CI, US$77.8–86.5). Sixty subjects (15.9%) wore contact lenses. The mean annual cost of contact lenses was S$567.1±565.7 (CI, S$422.2–712.0) or US$378.1±377.1 (CI, US$281.4–474.6). Subjects of families with higher total family income and those with fathers with secondary or higher education had higher annual direct expenditure (P=0.03 and P=0.001 respectively). Subjects from families with higher household incomes had higher frequency of change of spectacles (P=0.02) and shorter time since the last change of spectacles (P=0.03).
Conclusions
The mean annual direct cost of myopia for Singapore school children was S$221.68 (US$148) and the median, S$125.00 (US$83.33) per subject. Myopia is associated with significant financial burden in Singapore.
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Acknowledgements
This study is supported by the National Medical Research Council NMRC/0975/2005.
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Lim, M., Gazzard, G., Sim, EL. et al. Direct costs of myopia in Singapore. Eye 23, 1086–1089 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2008.225
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2008.225
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