As part of this research project, USC will interview all residents in the communities of Glendale, and Monterey Park. Currently, the MEPEDS Clinic is open in the city of Glendale. Residents of Glendale will be asked to participate in a brief interview. This initial interview will only take a few minutes which consists of basic questions about each person who lives in the home, such as age and race, household demographics, the child[ren]’s/ overall health and eye health, and the resident’s interest in participating in the study. If the household is eligible, we will then invite any eligible children in that household to receive a free eye exam at our Glendale clinic. To thank them for helping us, we will give a $25 gift certificate for Target after the child completes the eye exam.
If residents are not able to visit the clinic, appointments are available in the MEPEDS mobile vision van. The mobile vision van is able to go directly to the resident’s neighborhood to conduct eye exams. In addition, the mobile vision attends various community events, pre-schools, kindergartens, and day-care facilities to promote the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study.
As with any study, one of the greatest challenges is community awareness and involvement. As an active resident within the Los Angeles area, each person will be adding their voice along with other cities such as Riverside and Inglewood in understanding the causes of eye problems in young children in the Southern California community. Every person interviewed contributes to the survey by providing their own experiences and opinions.
To find out more information about the study and potential involvement, please contact our offices at University of Southern California at (323) 442-6409, or directly to the MEPEDS Clinic in Glendale at (818) 291-9121. CLICK on the links below for the recruitment brochures, fliers, and journal publications:
MEPEDS Glendale English Brochure
MEPEDS Glendale Armenian Brochure
MEPEDS Glendale Vision Van Flier
Journal Publications
Rohit Varma, MD, MPH-MEPEDS Design and Methods_Ophthal Epi_2006
Mark Borchert, MD-Retinomax IOLMaster testability_Ophthalmol 2008
Cotter_VA testability AA HW_AJO 2007
KTH_Stereoacuity testability AA HW_Optom Vis Sci 2008
MEPEDS_Prev Amblyopia Strabismus AA HW_Ophthalmol 2008
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The University of Southern California (USC) is conducting an important research project that is federally-funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve our understanding of the causes of eye disease among children ages 6 months to 6 years of age in the United States. One primary goal of the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study is to identify factors that may cause eye diseases among children. This will help doctors plan programs, and ensure the future health of children in the United States.