Socioeconomic Considerations in Childhood Glaucoma

Various social determinants of health have been associated with several ocular conditions. Recent literature has demonstrated that social factors such as race, ethnicity, air pollution, and low socioeconomic status markedly affect the incidence, access to care, and prognosis of childhood glaucoma. For children, delays in diagnosis and management can have a profound lifelong functional effect. In addition, childhood glaucoma not only causes visual impairment but also represents an economic burden on the patient/legal guardians and the community. Understanding the complex impact of different socioeconomic factors on children with glaucoma and their parents is essential to developing effective strategies to reduce inequities in pediatric glaucoma care and the economic burden of the disease.