Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Nov 13:16:147-161.
doi: 10.2147/PROM.S544313. eCollection 2025.

Awareness of Myopia Associated Complications and Perspectives on Myopia Management Among Parents of Children with Myopia in France and the UK

Redona Hafizi  1 , Nadiya Deferne  2 , Nabin Paudel  3 , Alfred Angerer  4 , Hui-Ting Hsieh  2
Affiliations

Awareness of Myopia Associated Complications and Perspectives on Myopia Management Among Parents of Children with Myopia in France and the UK

Redona Hafizi et al. Patient Relat Outcome Meas. .

Abstract

Purpose: Myopia is a global public health issue, estimated to affect 50% of the world's population by 2050. Evidence suggests that reducing myopia by one diopter decreases the risk of myopia-related retinal complications by 40%. Despite the availability of several myopia control methods, their clinical adoption remains limited. To improve their uptake, enhancing parental awareness of myopia control is crucial. This study explores parental awareness of myopia-related complications, control interventions and their perspectives on myopia management in France and the UK.

Patient and methods: A structured survey was conducted among 200 self-selected parents of children with myopia (100 France, 100 UK), via the TOM app, an online platform for tracking medication adherence. The survey assessed parental understanding of myopia complications, awareness of control strategies, perspectives on management, and financial concerns.

Results: 74% of French and 88% of the UK parents reported being aware of at least one myopia-related long-term complication, with cataract the most recognized in France (66%) and glaucoma in the UK (76%). 50% of French and 43% of UK parents were unsure or unaware that myopia progression could be slowed. UK parents reported higher adoption rates of myopia control methods, including orthokeratology (47% France, 68% UK), atropine (46% France, 63% UK), and red-light therapy (44% France, 67% UK). Financial burden was a significant concern, with 59% of French and 52% of UK parents feeling strained by costs, particularly for glasses, contact lenses, and specialized treatments. Parents of children with faster myopia progression (>-1 dioptres/year) were more likely to report financial stress (p<0.001).

Conclusion: While most parents are aware of myopia complications, notable gaps exist in understanding control options. UK parents adopted control methods more frequently than French parents. Financial burden remains a significant concern, emphasizing the need for enhanced parental education and affordable access to myopia control.

Keywords: financial burden; myopia; myopia control; parental awareness; perception.

Plain language summary

What is this summary about?: This is a summary about a study on parents’ awareness of the problems related to myopia (short-sightedness) progression in children and the existing ways to manage these problems in France and the UK.

What happened in this study?: 200 parents of children with myopia (100 in France and 100 in the UK) were asked to complete an online questionnaire through the TOM app. Participants answered questions about possible problems myopia can cause, available treatments, barriers to care, and how myopia affects their children’s daily lives.

What were the results?: Awareness of problems: Most participants knew about at least one possible problem that myopia progression can cause. Cataracts were most recognized in France, while it was glaucoma in the UK.Awareness of current myopia management options: About half of participants did not know that childhood myopia progression can be slowed. Parents who attended regular eye exams were more aware of treatment options. Spectacle lenses were the most used option.Barriers to care: Cost, limited access, and lack of information were the main barriers.Impact on children: Most children struggled to see the board in class. About half of them also had headaches or struggled to complete tasks.

What do the results mean?: These findings show important gaps in parental awareness and highlight the need for better education on slowing childhood myopia progression, improving access to affordable treatment options, and increasing the role of eye care professionals in informing families.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

At the time of the research and preparation of this manuscript, Nadiya Deferne and Hui-Ting Hsieh were employed by Santen SA. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequency of awareness of myopia-related risks among parents in France and the UK.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main reasons why parents consider myopia as a financial burden.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Likelihood of parents to try a new pharmacological treatment that delays their child’s progressive myopia.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Parents’ perceived importance of delaying myopia progression.
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036–1042. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.006 - DOI - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. The impact of myopia and high myopia: report of the joint world health organization-brian holden vision institute global scientific meeting on myopia. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; 2015:16–18.
    1. Dong L, Kang YK, Li Y, Wei WB, Jonas JB. Prevalence and time trends of myopia in children and adolescents in China: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Retina. 2020;40(3):399–411. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002590 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Saw SM, Gazzard G, Shih-Yen EC, Chua WH. Myopia and associated pathological complications. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2005;25(5):381–391. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2005.00298.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mitchell P, Hourihan F, Sandbach J, Wang JJ. The relationship between glaucoma and myopia: the blue mountains eye study. Ophthalmology. 1999;106(10):2010–2015. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(99)90416-5 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources