Johnson & Johnson Vision Releases Global Eye Health Survey Highlighting Surge in Ophthalmic Market Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Heightened Public Awareness of Eye Health in China

According to the latest survey, “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased screen time due to working from home and remote learning, heightening awareness of eye health. 71% of Chinese respondents stated that they have taken more measures to protect their eyes since the outbreak. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for overall eye health knowledge, including conditions such as cataracts and myopia.”

These latest findings come from the large-scale, comprehensive eye health survey, "Global Eye Health Survey Report," recently released worldwide by Johnson & Johnson Vision. ThisThe survey covered more than 6,000 adults aged 18 and above from the United States, Japan, China, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The results showed that people in different countries have different attitudes toward the importance and priority of eye health, with Chinese respondents demonstrating global leadership in their attention to and awareness of eye health.

Johnson & Johnson Vision is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.Eye Health Business, Including Johnson & JohnsonJohnson & Johnson Vision and Abbott Medical Optics businesses. Among them, Johnson & Johnson Vision primarily focuses on the contact lens business, with its brand Acuvue being a leading name in the industry. Johnson & Johnson Vision launched the world’s first replacement-type contact lenses—the two-week disposable contact lenses—in 1988, and subsequently introduced daily disposables and cosmetic colored contact lenses, among other products, bringing about a transformation to the vision correction product industry at that time.

StrongJohnson & Johnson Vision’s business primarily covers equipment and consumables related to cataract, refractive, and ocular surface fields. Among these, the cataract market is a growth segment particularly worthy of attention.Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. In China, the incidence of cataracts exceeds 80% among individuals aged 60 and above, and surpasses 90% in those aged 90 and older. Due to poor eye-use habits, the age of onset for cataracts has shown a trend toward younger populations in recent years.

In both of these areas, Johnson & Johnson Vision has achieved technological breakthroughs: the TECNIS Symfony extended depth-of-focus intraocular lens for cataract treatment, and the Acuvue Oasys with Transitions light-intelligent contact lenses for correcting refractive errors. In June 2019, leveraging these two technologies, Johnson & Johnson received the “MassachusettsPolytechReview》2019 Global "Smart Company" title, becoming the only company selected in the medical device sector on this list.

The following is an excerpt from Johnson & Johnson Vision’s “Global Eye Health Survey Report”:

• China Leads the World in Attention to Eye Health

Survey results show that more than three-quarters (78%) of Chinese adults believe eye health is closely linked to overall health, and that healthy vision helps improve overall quality of life (60%), ensures their safety (52%), and is essential to overall health and well-being (49%).

Consistent with the high level of awareness regarding the importance of eye health, China also ranks first in terms of attention paid to eye care. 63% of Chinese respondents undergo an eye examination at least once a year, a figure significantly higher than those in the United States (53%), the United Kingdom (34%), Japan (43%), Russia (49%), and Germany (37%). Meanwhile, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to working from home and remote learning has led to increased screen time, further heightening people's emphasis on eye health. 71% of Chinese respondents stated that they have taken additional measures to protect their eyes since the outbreak of the pandemic.

As one of the most widely recognized eye health issues, myopia is understood by 80% of Chinese adults. Nearly half of the respondents reported currently using a combination of frame glasses and contact lenses to improve their vision. Meanwhile, 76% of respondents, particularly among the younger generation, expressed an urgent need for knowledge related to myopia prevention and slowing the progression of refractive error.

• There Is Still Room for Improvement in Cataract Awareness Among the Chinese Population

Survey results indicate that although 63% of Chinese respondents reported undergoing at least one eye examination annually, a significant proportion of Chinese adults still do not receive regular eye care. The three primary factors contributing to this phenomenon include: the perception that their visual acuity has not changed (29%), inability or unwillingness to schedule an ophthalmic examination due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (23%), and lack of time (20%).

Furthermore, the survey revealed that as the leading cause of blindness worldwide, there is still room for improvement in the awareness of cataracts and their diagnosis and treatment in China. Although 65% of the Chinese public stated they are familiar with cataracts, this figure remains below the global average. Compared to other age groups, individuals aged 24–55 are more familiar with cataracts and acknowledge that the condition is caused by aging, other chronic diseases, or genetic factors. Regarding treatment options, while over 80% of Chinese respondents recognized surgery as a treatment for cataracts, 38% believed that lifestyle changes alone could treat the condition, representing the highest proportion among all surveyed markets.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that among all Chinese respondents, only 6% indicated they would be highly likely to undergo surgical treatment upon being diagnosed with cataracts. The primary barrier preventing Chinese patients from accepting cataract surgery is concern about safety; a significant proportion of respondents expressed worries about postoperative outcomes (44%) or reported a lack of disease-related knowledge (42%). Additionally, fear of the surgical procedure itself (27%) and the inability to find a suitable surgeon (25%) also hindered patients from undergoing surgical treatment.

Among all Chinese respondents, two-thirds believed that undergoing surgical treatment would help them enjoy their retirement (63%). Other motivations for accepting surgery included improving quality of life (56%), spending quality time with family and contributing to the household (44%), and work requirements (44%). Due to personalized visual needs, nearly 40% of middle-aged and elderly individuals expressed a desire to learn more about intraocular lenses.