title: Direct costs of myopia in Singapore.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the direct costs of myopia in Singapore children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of 377 Singaporean school children aged 12-17 years from one school in Singapore Cohort study of the Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM) was conducted. A combination of parent and self-administered questionnaires asked about the cost of each optometrist visit, spectacles, and contact lenses, transport costs, father's educational level, and total family income.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 377 subjects participated and cost data were available from 301 subjects. The mean annual direct cost of myopia was S$221.7+/-313.7 (CI, S$186.5-258.1) or US$147.8+/-209.1 (CI, US$124.3-172.1) and median annual direct cost of myopia was S$125.0 or US$83.3. The mean cost per pair of spectacles was S$123.2+/-61.2 (CI, S$116.6-129.8) or US$82.1+/-40.8 (CI, US$77.8-86.5). Sixty subjects (15.9%) wore contact lenses. The mean annual cost of contact lenses was S$567.1+/-565.7 (CI, S$422.2-712.0) or US$378.1+/-377.1 (CI, US$281.4-474.6). Subjects of families with higher total family income and those with fathers with secondary or higher education had higher annual direct expenditure (P=0.03 and P=0.001 respectively). Subjects from families with higher household incomes had higher frequency of change of spectacles (P=0.02) and shorter time since the last change of spectacles (P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean annual direct cost of myopia for Singapore school children was S$221.68 (US$148) and the median, S$125.00 (US$83.33) per subject. Myopia is associated with significant financial burden in Singapore.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore. marcus.lim.c.c@singhealth.com.sg
authors.forename: M C C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gazzard
authors.forename: E-L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: S-M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000191:economics; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000191:economics*; D009907:Optometry / Q000191:economics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires