The incidence of eye injuries in Canada

Objective: To provide information concerning the incidence of eye injuries in Canada.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: The study population consisted of all Canadians over the age of 18 years who agreed to participate in a telephone survey. Study participants were selected via random digit telephone dialing, with a roughly equal per capita geographic representation across Canada. Participating in the study were 4974 people, 51.8% of whom were female.

Methods: People agreeing to participate in the survey were asked whether, during the past year, they had had an eye injury that required medical attention. Those who said they had were asked an additional set of questions to ascertain the nature, cause, and location of the injury.

Results: Of the participants, 104 (2.09%) were found to have had an eye injury that required medical attention during the past year. The number of eye injuries occurring at home and at work was approximately the same (37.5% and 35.5%). Playing sports accounted for 8.6% of all injuries. Sharp objects were the primary cause of injury (23.1%), followed by dirt and debris (12.5%), and blunt objects (6.7%). The number of men reporting eye injuries was 3 times that of women. Approximately one quarter of all eye injuries (22.1%) had resulted in taking time off from work or school.

Conclusions: This population-based study indicates that the incidence of eye injuries in Canada is extremely high and argues for a public prevention campaign that encourages the use of eye protection, both at home and in the workplace.