Detecting Preventable Childhood Vision Loss and Barriers to Care in the Navajo Nation to Reduce Vision Health Disparities

At least half of all childhood vision loss is preventable or curable, yet the risk of vision loss is higher in areas where vision screening interventions are inconsistent or absent. The Navajo Nation, the most populous of all Indigenous Nations, consists of largely rural communities with high levels of poverty that affect health. Given the correlations between preventable vision loss and poverty, a higher incidence of treatable vision loss is expected in this population. With this award, Oatts aims to estimate the prevalence and causes of childhood visual impairment in Navajo youth, determine the factors that influence eye care delivery to Navajo youth, and identify ways to improve childhood vision health for Navajo youth. Oatts will develop expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research with mentorship from Dr. Sara Ackerman, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. Jeremy Keenan, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco will provide mentorship on community-based vision research.