The ocular and visual characteristics of an athletic population.

Background: Nine hundred and thirty-nine athletes of various ages and from varying levels of competition were part of a sports vision epidemiology project conducted by the Sports Vision Service at the Illinois Eye Institute, Chicago, Illinois.

Methods: Data were collected from sports vision screenings conducted from 1992 to 1995. The population consisted of participants in the 1994 and 1995 AAU Junior Olympic Games, members of the DePaul, Elmhurst, Illinois and College of DuPage athletic departments, and members of two local high school basketball programs, DuSable and Dunbar. The data collected were analyzed to determine the use of eye care services and the visual characteristics present in these elite athletic populations.

Results: Analysis of the data showed that athletes competing at high levels of competition do have visual problems. Twenty five percent of our population had never had a complete eye examination, 29% had visual symptoms, and 28% had less than 20/25 acuity through their habitual sports prescription.

Conclusions: The results of this study imply that the athletic populations at all levels are in need of eye care services. Protective eyewear is not often used in this athletic population. Comparing the results found in our population to other reported results in the general population indicate similar rates of refractive error.