Evaluating the self-esteem of myopic children over a three-year period: The COMET Experience.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to evaluate self-esteem over 3 years in the 469 myopic children participating in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), and to examine its relationship with lens assignment (progressive addition lenses [PALs] vs. single-vision lenses [SVLs]), myopia progression, and several other ocular and demographic characteristics.


METHODS
Data collection included refractive error measurements, child-reported visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, adherence, and self-esteem as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). A two-way analysis of variance (treatment group x time) was performed to examine whether PAL and SVL wearers differed in self-esteem over time. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between self-esteem at follow-up and relevant factors identified by univariate analyses.


RESULTS
Regardless of lens assignment or myopia progression, COMET children reported moderate to high levels of self-esteem at follow-up in the areas of scholastic and athletic competence, physical appearance, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, and global self-worth. Mean scores ranged from 2.87 (+/- 0.68) on athletic competence to 3.40 (+/- 0.56) on global self-worth. Self-esteem changed significantly (p < 0.05) over 3 years in the domains of scholastic competence, social acceptance, and physical appearance. Self-esteem at follow-up was associated with visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, age, gender, and ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Lens assignment and myopia progression were not associated with self-esteem in the COMET cohort. These children had high levels of self-esteem, suggesting that having myopia does not negatively impact self-esteem. Follow-up reports will monitor self-esteem and related factors in this cohort of myopic children over the course of adolescence and early adulthood.
Dias
Lynette
L
Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8036, USA.
Hyman
Leslie
L
Manny
Ruth E
RE
Fern
Karen
K
D002648:Child; D005139:Eyeglasses; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009216:Myopia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors