| Title | Cluster-randomized controlled trial of the effects of free glasses on purchase of children's glasses in China: The PRICE (Potentiating Rural Investment in Children's Eyecare) study |
| Authors | Wang, Xiuqin Congdon, Nathan Ma, Yue Hu, Min Zhou, Yuan Liao, Weiqi Jin, Ling Xiao, Baixiang Wu, Xiaoyi Ni, Ming Yi, Hongmei Huang, Yiwen Varga, Beatrice Zhang, Hong Cun, Yongkang Li, Xianshun Yang, Luhua Liang, Chaoguang Huang, Wan Rozelle, Scott Ma, Xiaochen |
| Affiliation | Sun Yat Sen Univ, Zhongshan Ophthalm Ctr, State Key Lab Ophthalmol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China. Sun Yat Sen Univ, Zhongshan Ophthalm Ctr, Div Prevent Ophthalmol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China. Guangdong Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, Peoples R China. Orbis Int, New York, NY USA. Queens Univ Belfast, Ctr Publ Hlth, Translat Res Equitable Eyecare, Belfast, Antrim, North Ireland. Shaanxi Normal Univ, Ctr Expt Econ Educ, Xian, Shaanxi, Peoples R China. Second Peoples Hosp Yunnan Prov, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Fred Hollows Fdn China, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geog Sci & Nat Resources Res, Ctr Chinese Agr Policy, Beijing, Peoples R China. Fred Hollows Fdn Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia. First Peoples Hosp Honghe Prefecture, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Dehong Prefecture Peoples Hosp, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Chuxiong Prefecture Peoples Hosp, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Jianchuan Cty Peoples Hosp, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. First Peoples Hosp Lancang Cty, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China. Stanford Univ, Freeman Spogli Inst Int Studies, Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA. Peking Univ, China Ctr Hlth Dev Studies, Beijing, Peoples R China. |
| Keywords | PEDIATRIC-REFRACTIVE-ERROR SECONDARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS STUDY X-PRES VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AGED CHILDREN WESTERN CHINA SPECTACLE USE SEE-WELL PREVALENCE |
| Issue Date | 2017 |
| Publisher | PLOS ONE |
| Citation | PLOS ONE. 2017, 12(11). |
| Abstract | Background Offering free glasses can be important to increase children's wear. We sought to assess whether "Upgrade glasses" could avoid reduced glasses sales when offering free glasses to children in China. Methods In this cluster-randomized, controlled trial, children with uncorrected visual acuity (VA)< = 6/12 in either eye correctable to >6/12 in both eyes at 138 randomly-selected primary schools in 9 counties in Guangdong and Yunnan provinces, China, were randomized by school to one of four groups: glasses prescription only (Control); Free Glasses; Free Glasses + offer of $15 Upgrade Glasses; Free Glasses + offer of $30 Upgrade Glasses. Spectacle purchase (main outcome) was assessed 6 months after randomization. Results Among 10,234 children screened, 882 (8.62%, mean age 10.6 years, 45.5% boys) were eligible and randomized: 257 (29.1%) at 37 schools to Control; 253 (28.7%) at 32 schools to Free Glasses; 187 (21.2%) at 31 schools to Free Glasses + $15 Upgrade; and 185 (21.0%) at 27 schools to Free Glasses +$30 Upgrade. Baseline ownership among these children needing glasses was 11.8% (104/882), and 867 (98.3%) children completed follow-up. Glasses purchase was significantly less likely when free glasses were given: Control: 59/250 = 23.6%; Free glasses: 32/252 = 12.7%, P = 0.010. Offering Upgrade Glasses eliminated this difference: Free + $15 Upgrade: 39/183 = 21.3%, multiple regression relative risk (RR) 0.90 (0.56-1.43), P = 0.65; Free + $30 Upgrade: 38/182 = 20.9%, RR 0.91 (0.59, 1.42), P = 0.69. Conclusions Upgrade glasses can prevent reductions in glasses purchase when free spectacles are provided, providing important program income. |
| URI | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/500809 |
| ISSN | 1932-6203 |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0187808 |
| Indexed | SCI(E) PubMed |
| Appears in Collections: | 国家发展研究院 |
