Ethnicity and its Role in Strabismus Surgery Outcomes
What is Strabismus?
Strabismus is a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned, which hampers a person’s binocular vision and often comes with psychosocial implications. Some may refer to this condition as “cross-eyed” or “wall-eyed”. Because this disorder can only be found through vision screenings and treatment is most effective if strabismus is discovered early, certain populations based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, may not have access to preventative screening.
Trends in Strabismus Occurrence and Treatment
Current studies show prevalence of strabismus in Hispanic and African-American populations. One study, involving 3,007 African-American children and the same number of Hispanic children, aged 6 to 72 months, showed that 2.4% of the Hispanic children and 2.5% of the African-American children experienced strabismus. Of those observed, fewer than 0.9% wore glasses, and only 1.7% of those children were previously screened for strabismus.
Evidence from the study suggests that because of the lower number of children who wear glasses or have the opportunity to receive strabismus therapy among this population, healthcare methods to which they have access have been ineffective. Raising awareness about these disorders among the Hispanic and African-American populations is extremely important. To learn more about strabismus screening and therapy, contact a Vistar Eye Center location in Roanoke and the surrounding areas of Virginia.