School-based vision program leads to better reading scores

Children in grades 3-7 who received glasses through a school-based vision program achieved better reading scores, according to a study.

Improved academic achievement was sustained over 1 year but the impact was not seen after 2 years.

In this cluster randomized clinical trial, 2304 students in grades 3 to 7 who received eye examinations and eyeglasses during school years from 2016 to 2019, were included.

Overall, 77.6% of students were Black, 16.8% were Latinx, and 17.6% were special education.

There was an overall 1-year positive impact on reading scores during the 2016-2017 school year. Female students, special education students, and the lowest-performing students at baseline on i-Ready reading also experienced a positive impact during the school year 2016-2017.

Reference
Neitzel AJ, Wolf B, Guo X, et al. Effect of a Randomized Interventional School-Based Vision Program on Academic Performance of Students in Grades 3 to 7: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online September 09, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2021.3544