Color vision deficiency in preschool children: the multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the sex- and ethnicity-specific prevalence of color vision deficiency (CVD) in black, Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white preschool children.


METHODS
Population-based, cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study is a population-based evaluation of the prevalence of vision disorders in children in Southern California. A total of 5960 subjects 30 to 72 months of age were recruited for the study, of whom 4177 were able to complete color vision testing (1265 black, 812 Asian, 1280 Hispanic, and 820 non-Hispanic white).


METHODS
Color vision testing was performed using Color Vision Testing Made Easy color plates (Home Vision Care, Gulf Breeze, FL), and diagnostic confirmatory testing was performed using the Waggoner HRR Diagnostic Test color plates (Home Vision Care).


METHODS
Testability of color vision in preschool children between 30 and 72 months of age and prevalence of CVD stratified by age, sex, and ethnicity.


RESULTS
Testability was 17% in children younger than 37 months of age, increasing to 57% in children 37 to 48 months of age, 89% in children 49 to 60 months of age, and 98% in children 61 to 72 months of age. The prevalence of CVD among boys was 1.4% for black, 3.1% for Asian, 2.6% for Hispanic, and 5.6% for non-Hispanic white children; the prevalence in girls was 0.0% to 0.5% for all ethnicities. The ethnic difference in CVD was statistically significant between black and non-Hispanic white children (P = 0.0003) and between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children (P = 0.02). In boys, most CVD cases were either deutan (51%) or protan (34%); 32% were classified as mild, 15% as moderate, and 41% as severe.


CONCLUSIONS
Testability for CVD in preschool children is high by 4 years of age. The prevalence of CVD in preschool boys varies by ethnicity, with the highest prevalence in non-Hispanic white and lowest in black children.
Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
John Z
JZ
Xie
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Kristina
K
Tarczy-Hornoch
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Jesse
J
Lin
Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, California.
Susan A
SA
Cotter
Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Mina
M
Torres
Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address: rvarma@uic.edu.
Rohit
R
Varma
D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D017677:Age Distribution; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003119:Color Perception Tests; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044382:Population Groups; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology