Eyesight is an inestimable, precious asset. And yet, Italians do not seem to be aware of it and, above all, be particularly careful about protecting their eyes. Transitions Optical made a research interviewing 1000 persons on the phone.
In Italy there has been a growing awareness of the importance of health and physical fitness to ensure a high quality of life. This trend does not seem to have involved the eyes and sight, as it is demonstrated by a research study carried out by IPSOS Health for Transitions Optical, a world leader in photochromic lenses. The international study, conducted in successive phases, each of which dealing with specific themes, at this stage involved four European Countries: Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
In Italy the results show that around 48% of the population, i.e. 5 Italians in 10, wears spectacles or contact lenses, an important datum although 41% of the interviewees state that they have no problems with eyesight. Those who mention them place myopia in first place (31%), followed by astigmatism (14%) and, in third place, presbyopia (9%). The first part of the research (published in May 2007) also revealed the lack of concern for the effect of solar rays on the eyes. Consequently, the study underlined that as many as 16% of the interviewees do not use any protection or aid to protect their eyes during exposure to the sun. Moreover, a worrying 37% had expressed the erroneous conviction that damage to the eyes is reversible.
Let’s concentrate on the second stage of the study, made public last October.
Eyesight protection is in third place. Only 39% of Italians (36% men and 42% women) consider that maintaining the efficiency of their eyesight is considered halfway between the very important and the unimportant ones, thus revealing a worrying situation of lack of information and sensitivity to the problem.
There is a surprising persistence of certain prejudices concerning eyesight in the minds of the Italians. For example, 7 Italians out of 10 are ignorant of the fact that as much as 80% of the quantities of UVA rays we are exposed to during our lives takes place before the age of 18, or as many as 62% of Italians consider that people with dark eyes have fewer problems regarding exposure to sunlight! Just out of curiosity, we may add that 20% of Italians think that sunglasses may “damage” the eyes, a fact that probably has to do with many low-cost products, without warranty brands, purchased in the street, on stalls or the beach.
Found in Vedere International 2008