8 Access to Eye Health Services

Bailie Featherston

Eye health continues to be an important aspect of the maintenance of holistic health. Eye health is when eye function, ocular health, and vision are improved to increase people’s overall wellbeing (Ramke et al., 2021). Recent studies have shown that greater than 11 million U.S. individuals, 12 years and older, require some sort of vision or ocular health service (CDC, 2020). However, regular visits to the optometrist are typically not one of people’s priorities regarding health care. On a global scale, a study indicates that over 440 million people across the world struggle with eye health conditions (Barman & Mishra, 2020). Despite these large numbers, a gap remains between need for vision care services and number of people who have the means and the motivation to obtain quality eye care.

In the United States, many men and women in the general population do not visit the eye doctor. Specifically, only 50% of the 93 million U.S. adults have accessed eye care in the last year (CDC, 2020). Furthermore, only 39% of U.S. children have participated in vision screenings (CDC, 2020). Eye conditions often go undetected because of decreased screening and lack of regular eye exams. This is concerning because some overarching conditions can be recognized during a routine eye exam, including diabetes, hypertension, and cancer (Stepko, 2021). Some other examples of common eye issues that can be found at regular eye exams include amblyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachments . Without regular eye exams that assess vision prescription and look at retina health, men and women may experience a decreased quality of life that can be prevented. By accessing eye health services, quality of life is increased through the preventative screenings and exams that create a decreased risk for disease by catching problems early and by allowing patients to achieve a better sense of sight through corrected vision.

Importantly, men are less likely to access eye health services. For example, a study was conducted to see if patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis were attending their recommended eye exams and found men were less likely to complete the appointments than women (Fidler et al., 2021). This finding of men not utilizing eye health services is due to multiple factors, including income and underlying barriers that come with increasing age. Often, vision insurance is separate from general insurance coverage and is usually not offered as a benefit within individuals’ general health insurance. This gap between vision insurance and health insurance can also enhance economic barriers to accessing eye care services because of added costs.

Due to men’s limited receipt of vision care services, preventions must be implemented to improve men’s overall health and quality of life. One of these interventions could be fostering increased doctor and patient collaboration to encourage men to be more involved in their eye health care plan (Rosu et al., 2017). Another intervention is to expand insurance status and transportation efforts to increase access to care for low-income men and elderly men (Barman & Mishra, 2020).

Intersectionality Within Men’s Eye Health

As a population group, men are less likely to utilize eye care services, such as routine eye exams (Fidler et al., 2021). As a result, men are at a greater risk of declining sight, rising incidence of ocular conditions, and having systemic issues that go unnoticed. Continued eye health is also crucial to better quality of life for men, as stated in a study that tracked men’s uptake of eye services (Fidler et al., 2021).

Income and age play major roles in men’s need and use of eye care. For example, a study conducted in Spain states that sight problems are largely associated with decreased income (Latorre-Arteaga et al., 2018). Although this study focused on Spain, the information can also be applied to trends in the United States. For instance, a study based in the U.S. found that vision insurance and its affordability affected men’s access to care (Varadaraj et al., 2019). Age is also a factor in determining access to eye care. A Canadian study, that can also be translated to the U.S., states that men have increased issues with getting to the doctor due to older age (Aljied et al., 2018).

How Does Low Income Impact Men’s Eye Health?

 As a determinant of men’s health, income has a large effect on ability to access eye care. In general, ocular health services are expensive. This high-cost places a burden on men that can be too great to overcome. Insurance status facilitates access to eye care. For example, in a U.S. study of surveyed men, records indicate that if men could not afford coverage, this prevented them from engaging in vision services (Varadaraj et al., 2019). Also, regarding insurance, a participant in a study discussed how his vision insurance plan only covered two optical visits per year, and as a result, he was less likely to go to the optometrist when he needed care (Spafford et al., 2019). Therefore, even men who are insured struggle to use eye care services because their plans may not provide complete coverage due to high costs. Overall, the burden of income is a deterrent in some men’s willingness and ability to obtain eye health services. As previously mentioned, a Spanish study notes that 10% of the population related their poor eye health to lack of money to pay for services (Latorre-Arteaga et al., 2018). Again, this similar to U.S. trends that show lack of income as a barrier to accessing eye care.

 “No money and poverty graphic design” by Mohamed Hassan is licensed under Pixabay License

How Does Increasing Age Impact Men’s Eye Health?

 As a general trend, men’s eye health decreases with increasing age. The prevalence of ocular conditions, such as the development of cataracts, increases as men get older (Tham et al., 2014). Because of this, using eye health services is important to track conditions, such as cataract progression, to determine if the condition is impairing vision. Furthermore, as men age, they often feel less motivated to go to the eye doctor due to decreased mobility. Specifically, a study including men in the U.S., states that men are less likely to obtain vision services as their age increases (Barman & Mishra, 2020). Another study indicates that 41% of men, 60 years and older, who had vision problems did not go to the eye doctor in the past year (Aljied et al., 2018). As men age, getting to the doctor’s office becomes a greater challenge, and they may need to obtain assistance to fulfill this task. This lowers men’s sense of independence, which can hinder them from accessing care since they cannot be self-reliant (Barman & Mishra, 2020).