Contact lens user profile, attitudes and level of compliance to lens care.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the demographics profile of lens wearers, and to evaluate the scope and level of noncompliant, behaviours in lens wearers.


METHODS
210 contact lens wearers who attended an optometry clinic at an education and research institute, were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed to gather information regarding contact lens wearer demographics, contact lens hygiene behaviours and, attitudes toward lens care. Multivariate testing between lens wearers' demographic, hygiene, behaviours and attitude to aftercare visit were analysed.


RESULTS
One hundred and eleven (62%) of participants responded, with a mean age of 33.8+/-12 years. 55% of the respondents were female. Major non-compliance aspects identified were poor hand hygiene (11%), inadequate cleaning of lenses (13%) and lens storage cases (61%), and wearers not remembering how often they were advised to return for an aftercare (50%). Lens wearers who purchased contact lenses, from the internet were 3.8 times more likely to forget their aftercare schedule than those who purchased contact lenses from the optometrists (95% CI=1.2-12.2, p=0.024).


CONCLUSIONS
Poor hand hygiene, inadequate lens care, and not remembering when to come back for aftercares are the common non-compliant behaviours in lens wearers. Purchase of lenses via the internet was associated with lack of awareness of aftercare visit.
Institute for Eye Research, Sydney, Australia. y.wu@ier.org.au
Yvonne
Y
Wu
Nicole
N
Carnt
Fiona
F
Stapleton
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018639:Contact Lens Solutions / Q000592:standards*; D003261:Contact Lenses; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D018639:Contact Lens Solutions