Cdv: only one Italian out of 10 buys sunglasses for protection against UV rays
It's time again for the annual event of the 'Sun Project', the awareness-raising campaign promoted by the Vision Defense Commission (CDV) to remind Italians of the importance of wearing glasses that protect them from UV rays.
The high-point in CDV's campaign was the presentation this morning of the results of a survey the Commission promotes annually. The survey was carried out by the research institute Piepoli & Associati on how Italians buy and use sunglasses.
The survey involved telephone interviews of a representative sample of one thousand Italians. Every year, the investigation reveals worrying data and highlights a certain 'inertia' in the awareness of the possible damage to eyes caused by ultraviolet rays.
The average Italian does not appear to take particular care of his/her sight: only 1 out of 10 chooses glasses for protection; and the figure is even more alarming amongst young people (in the 18 to 34 age group): it's not even one out of ten. The attention to health and UV ray damages increases slightly with age: it is important to 14.8% between 35 and 54 years of age, and to 13.2% between 55 and 74.
There is little attention to health, but not to fashion. The aesthetic factor is still the first input in the choice of frames for sunglasses: 'stylish' glasses is a priority for 35.6% of Italians, and for almost 50% of 18 to 34 year-olds.
The myth that Italians are parsimonious and careful about money has been completely exploded: only slightly more than one Italian out of 10 (11.3%) states that low cost is one of the reasons for the choice. A trend that is backed up by another figure: 83.1% of Italians state that they buy glasses from an optician. The purchase is slightly distracted, however, as only 62.6% remember finding the information leaflet in the case.
In the mind of the Italian consumer, sunglasses continue to be considered more as a fashion item than as a tool for protection. Confirming the surveys of previous years, sunglasses are a trendy purchase for young people (34.5% of the sample between 18 and 34 years of age bought a pair in the past year), near home (the outlet in the neighborhood is the one preferred in 83.7% of cases) and 'fashionable'. Eye health takes second place despite the fact that 80% of the interviewees are aware that exposure to the sun can be hazardous. But when asked 'what kinds of hazard?', the replies are very superficial and range from 'damage to sight' (38%) to 'burning and reddening' (28%).
There is little awareness about more serious damages, such as those highlighted in the research by the Biometeorology Institute of the National Research Center and officially presented today. The starting off point in this research was the fact that ultraviolet rays are officially recognized as being one of the main risk factors for health and especially for the eyes. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can trigger a series of sight disorders which range (as provided for by the sample) from simple burning to more serious ailments, such as cataract or degenerative disorders of the eye's delicate tissue. The lens especially is the part most exposed to UV rays, the gradual loss of transparency is the main cause of blindness throughout the world and perhaps few people know that, in certain forms, it is accelerated by excessive exposure to UV rays. It is not by chance that this disorder is more widespread in those areas of the world where there is longer exposure to UV rays.
A new approach to studying the negative effects of radiation has been developed in recent years. 'Personal exposure' aims at showing how individuals are more or less exposed to the risks of radiation in certain environments. The Research Center's survey presented today began with a series of trials which measured the exposure to UV rays under different conditions: full sunlight, shade and various reflecting surfaces (sand, grass, snow) and highlighted the alarming fact that even when protected by an umbrella we are still exposed to radiation.
'The suns rays', stated Flavio Paratore, ophthalmologist at the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, 'are responsible for the premature aging of skin and eyes: they gradually damage the lens, increasing the risk of cataract, they causes damage to the retina and they contribute to macular degeneration'.
Moreover, people who have undergone cataract operations or refractive surgery should pay even greater attention to protection from UV rays and wear sunglasses: in the first case because the artificial lens inserted during the operation does not act as a filter as a normal lens does; in the second case, and particularly during the first few months after the surgery, UV rays could interact with tissue regeneration.
Unfortunately, average Italians are not aware of these 'high' risks, either for themselves or for their children. Degenerative disorders in adults are often the consequence of damage incurred in infancy. And yet a recent research, also carried out by the Piepoli Institute, on visits to opticians at pre-school age, revealed that 70% of Italian families do not make their children wear sunglasses.
'Protecting the eyes from ultraviolet rays from infancy is fundamental', explained Massimo Trevisol, optician and ophthalmologist specialized in Vision Science and Sport Vision. Many parents underestimate the problem and buy low-quality glasses. Prevention from a very early age is a fundamental tool for protecting the health of our sight: opticians are able to recommend the most suitable frames for any age'.
Italians are not very disposed to prevention and this is the direction the Vision Defense Commission's awareness-raising campaigns are taking: the annual monitoring of the way sunglasses are purchased by Italians helps to give a better understanding of the behavioral trend and therefore an attempt can be made to change the more negative data. CDV's awareness-raising campaigns are beginning to show results: a first positive signal is the increase in the percentage of those who point out that one of the risks to eye health is 'excess UV rays', and 4 Italians out of 10 have heard that wearing sunglasses prevents damage caused by UV rays'. Not an exciting result, but it is positive.
