Rates of Preschool Vision Exams in Toronto and the Effects of Immigration and Socioeconomic Status

Vision exams are critical in the pediatric population. There is scant data about the proportion of Canadian children receiving vision exams, and the barriers to preventative vision care. Parents of 357 children between the age of four and six years from one large Canadian city were surveyed, to identify the rate and predictors of vision exams. In this sample, 42% percent of children had a vision exam, and both parental immigration to Canada and a lower socioeconomic status were associated with a decreased rate of vision exams, while parental education was not. A Cochran-Mantel-Haentszel model was used to control for the independent effect of immigration and socioeconomic status, and identified that only low socioeconomic status was associated with a decreased rate of vision exams. We hope this research will lead to better-targeted interventions to increase the rate of vision exams in children.