Abstract
Objective
To assess the ophthalmic needs of families with children residing in Toronto shelters.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Participants
Forty-nine families, including 86 children (age 0–16 years) and 55 adult and youth
family members (AYFM) (age >16 years), randomly selected from 5 family shelters in
Toronto, Ont.
Methods
Ten families with at least 1 child aged 16 years or younger were randomly recruited
from each shelter. Data on sociodemographics, medical history, ocular history, and
access to eye care were collected through a structured interview. Eye examinations
were performed in the shelters for all children and AYFM.
Results
The mean age for AYFM was 34.9 ± 9.3 years (range, 17–60 years), and the mean age
for children was 6.1 ± 4.3 years (range, 1 month–16 years). Thirty-nine percent of
parents reported dissatisfaction with their vision, and 6.7% of children had parents
who perceived that their child had eye problems. Overall, fewer parents had accessed
care for their own eye problems in the last year than for their children (parents
36.4%, children 81.8%). Examination revealed abnormal ocular findings in 47.3% of
AYFM and 24.4% of children. The commonest finding in AYFM was refractive error (30.9%);
among children, it was refractive errors (16.3.%) and strabismus (3.5%).
Conclusions
We found that a significant percentage of families living in shelters had eye problems
that required treatment. We propose a proactive approach to identify these families
and their dependent children in order to expedite access to appropriate eye care in
a timely fashion for this vulnerable population.
RÉSUMÉ
Objet
Évaluer les besoins en ophtalmologie de familles résidant dans des refuges de Toronto.
Nature
Étude transversale
Participants
49 familles comptant 86 enfants (de 0 à 16 ans) et 55 adolescents et adultes (AA;
âge > 16 ans), ont été sélectionnés au hasard dans 5 refuges de Toronto, en Ontario.
Méthodes
Dix familles ayant au moins 1 enfant de 16 ans ou moins ont été recrutés aléatoirement
dans chaque refuge. On a procédé à des entrevues structurées visant à recueillir les
données sociodémographiques des participants, ainsi qu’à documenter leurs antécédents
médicaux et oculaires et leur accès à des soins oculaires. Tous les participants ont
subi sur place (au refuge) un examen des yeux.
Résultats
L’âge moyen des AA était de 34,9 ± 9,3 ans (de 17 à 60 ans), et celui des enfants
était de 6,1 ± 4,3 ans (de 1 mois à 16 ans). Trente-neuf pourcent des parents ont
signalé être insatisfaits de leur vision, et dans le cas de 6,7 % des enfants, les
parents soupçonnaient des troubles visuels chez ceux-ci. Dans l’ensemble, les parents
ont été moins nombreux à consulter un spécialiste des yeux pour eux-mêmes (36,4 %)
que pour leurs enfants au cours de la dernière année (81,8 %). L’examen a révélé des
anomalies oculaires chez 47,3 % des AA et 24,4 % des enfants. Chez les AA, il s’agissait
le plus souvent d’un vice de réfraction (30,9 %) et chez les enfants, d’un vice de
réfraction (16,3 %) ou de strabisme (3,5 %).
Conclusions
Une proportion considérable de familles résidant dans des refuges présentaient des
troubles oculaires qui nécessitaient un traitement. Nous proposons la mise en œuvre
d’une démarche proactive visant à repérer ces familles, pour accélérer l’accès en
temps opportun à des soins oculaires adéquats chez cette population vulnérable.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 07, 2018
Accepted:
December 6,
2017
Received in revised form:
November 30,
2017
Received:
September 24,
2017
Footnotes
Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Baltimore, Md., and at the 80th Canadian Ophthalmological Society annual meeting in Montreal, Que., in 2017.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
