Prevalence and Determinants Associated With Spectacle-Wear Compliance in Aphakic Infants

PURPOSE: We assess the prevalence of spectacle wear and the factors associated with compliance among aphakic infants with congenital cataracts who underwent lens extraction in South China. METHODS: Infants aged 3 months to 3 years were enrolled from among participants in the Childhood Cataract Program of the Chinese Ministry of Health (CCPMOH). The prevalence and potential determinants of spectacle-wearing compliance were identified from interviews with the infants' caregivers. RESULTS: Among 192 infant caregivers, the mean (SD) age of the infants was 1.89 (0.50) years, and 57% were males. Compliance was 30.9% in the 3-month- to 1-year-old age group, 78.0% in the 1- to 2-year-old age group, and 87.0% in the 2- to 3-year-old age group. The following two factors were associated with spectacle-wearing compliance: softness of the spectacles frame (β = 1.273, P = 0.002, odds ratio [OR] = 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6–8.0) and communication with other caregivers regarding the spectacle-wearing experience (β = −2.955, P = 0.034, OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0–0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with spectacle wear was low during the earlier stage, but increased with time in aphakic infants. However, overall compliance should be improved. Therefore, efficient strategies aimed at improving spectacle-wearing compliance are needed. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: These findings reveal the low spectacle-wearing compliance in aphakic infants and support useful information to improve compliance.