New research commissioned by Australia’s leading provider of eye care, OPSM,
has today revealed that one in five parents have never taken their children for an
eye test, despite the fact that along with allergies and asthma, eye disorders are
the most common long-term health problems experienced by children.

Although a standard eye examination is fully covered by Medicare in Australia every
two years:

• Only 3% of parents believe an eye test is the most important thing to
  do for their children in the weeks before they return to school
• Eye tests trail behind getting a haircut which 7% of parents see as
  the most important activity on the back to school list
• Just 8% of parents consider good vision to have the biggest impact on
  their child’s ability to do well in class

OPSM spokesperson Grant Fisher says: “An eye test is just as important, if not
more important than all the other tasks parents tick off before they send their kids
back to school. We want parents to be aware of the risks associated with neglecting
to take their children for an eye examination, not just because it affects health
but also academic progress as eye problems and learning problems are often
related.”

According to the Australian Government, more than 660,000 Australian school age
children have some form of undetected vision defect that requires either immediate
attention or ongoing assessment, and it’s estimated that 14,000 will likely
have irreversible long-term visual problems if not treated. Most children are not
self-aware of having a vision problem and think how they see things is normal, so
problems can easily go undetected and unreported.

To highlight the importance of eye tests for kids, OPSM is launching a campaign
called “Eye Love Books” whereby schools will be rewarded with $5 worth
of books for the school library for every child who takes an eye test between
February and April 2010. 2

To book an eye test at an OPSM store, call 13 20 20 or visit www.opsm.com.au