Sunwear: More than a Fashion Accessory?

2015 • Content, Staff Education

One of the simplest ways to help your patients maintain healthy vision is to offer them UV protection. According to The Vision Council Report, Protection for the Naked Eye: Sunglasses as a Health Necessity, a significant number of Americans are still not aware of the health risk they take when going outside without protecting their eyes against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In fact, one in four adults (26 percent) rarely or never wear sunglasses, according to the 2015 report.

Tip: Focus on millennials. Only 43% wear sunglasses always or often, making them less likely to protect their eyes from UV than other generations.

Here are more of the alarming statistics from this important report that both you and your patients need to know. The numbers underscore the lack of UV knowledge of most Americans and suggest some of the reasons why protection from exposure is so critical:

• 65%: More than six out of ten adults view sunwear as a fashion accessory.

• 58%: More than half of Americans are outdoors the most from 2pm-6pm, critical times for UV exposure to the eyes.

• TOP TIMES: Make sure patients understand that their eyes are most at risk outside between 8am-10 am and 2pm-4pm.

• 33.7%: Over a third of parents of kids under age 13 say their children rarely or never wear sunglasses.

• 3X: Kids receive three times the annual adult exposure to UV. Their clearer lenses and larger pupils put them at risk for serious vision damage later in life.

• MOST: American adults report they are the most likely to protect their eyes when driving, walking or going to the beach or pool.

• LEAST: Outdoor activities for which adults report they’re less likely to consider protecting their eyes are running, biking, gardening, and participating in team sports.

• SEASONS: While the UV index peaks during spring and summer, levels can also be high in September and October. In the winter, UV rays can reflect into the eyes off the snow.

Simply put, no matter what the season, no matter what the weather, UV protective sunwear is imperative for your patients.

How do you address the challenges of UV exposure and the importance of sunwear in your business?

Please tell us how you handle this and join the conversation about the important of UV protection on our Facebook page here.

Reference: http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/content/uv-protection/adults

One Response to “Sunwear: More than a Fashion Accessory?”

1. UV Exposure: What Staff and Patients Need to Know Says:

   November 4th, 2015 at 11:49 am

   […] the bright sun, 2 out of 3 Americans don’t protect their eyes on cloudy or rainy days.  In our Sept. 9 post, we discussed some of the results of The Vision Council’s study, “Protection for the Naked Eye: […]