The study by Transitions Optical, manufacturer of Transitions® adaptive lenses, was commissioned to mark their second year of commitment to the successful Eye Know Eye Care schools campaign.

Whilst the World Health Organisation estimates up to 80% of a person’s lifetime to exposure to UV occurs before the age of 182, one in five parents (21%)3 stated that they don’t take any measures to protect their child’s eyes from these harmful UV rays.

“Whilst we are all susceptible to UV eye damage, children are particularly susceptible, especially under 12’s whose clear lenses in their eyes aren’t yet fully formed, allowing harmful UV rays to reach and damage the retina,” comments Optometrist and General Manager of Transitions Optical EMEA, Lindsay Brown.

“If children’s eyes are left unprotected, this can lead to a range of long-term eye health problems, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the UK.”

Worrying recent statistics also show that up to 1 million children* in the UK currently have an undetected vision problem. Karen Sparrow, from the Association of Optometrists (AOP) says: “There seems to be a lack of understanding about eyesight and eye health. I would urge parents to remember taking their children to see the optician is just as important as the trip to the dentist, or having their feet measured. This should ideally happen around the age of 5, or even before, as problems detected this young can be corrected more easily.”

Chartered Development Psychologist Dr Janine Spencer says: “It’s so important that children have their eyes checked at a young age to ensure they’re ready for learning. A child’s ability to read, write, draw and even play sports is dependent on good visuo-motor skills. Children who suffer from undiagnosed visual problems can suffer attention problems simply because they can’t follow what’s happening in the classroom. This can lead to poor self esteem and even behavioural problems.”

The research also revealed:

• Taking children for an eye test is bottom of the class on a parents ‘back to school’ preparation list
• Only 10% of parents said their school provided a vision screening service

The Transitions Optical Eye Know Eye Care campaign was launched in 2009, providing free educational resources for teachers including activity sheets, competitions and lesson plans for the Key Stage 2 curriculum.  The initiative also offers teaching support for opticians to give talks in schools about the importance of eye health. Last year more than 1,000 schools participated in the campaign.

During 2010-2011 the campaign is raising awareness about the provision of vision screening in primary schools, a service that varies across different areas in the UK.

Children, teachers and parents can find out more by visiting http://www.eyeknoweyecare.com/.