Two out of three Kiwis aren’t aware the sun can permanently damage their eyes, new research has revealed.  

The YouGov report, commissioned by Specsavers, found that while 93% of New Zealanders are concerned about long-term damage to their body, their eyes tend to be forgotten about, with just 32% concerned about the long-term damage to their eyes from the effects of the sun. Not only is there a lack of awareness about the implications of sun exposure on eyes, almost half (45%) admitted they don’t wear sunglasses most of the time when they’re outside, while 41% own sunglasses with some form of UV protection (UVA, UVB or both) and 47% are unsure of what kind of protection their sunglasses have. About 50% of respondents also thought they only needed to wear sunglasses when it’s sunny and during the middle of the day. They admitted they weren’t aware it was important to wear sunglasses at other times of the day, in winter or even when it is cloudy/overcast.   

The findings also showed that Gen Z have the worst sun-smart habits, were less likely to wear sunglasses (66%) compared to other generations or even own a pair of sunglasses (22%). New Zealanders living in the Auckland region were more likely to wear sunglasses at least some of the time when outside (87%) compared to people living outside of Auckland on the North Island (80%) and South Island (78% Canterbury region,76% and South Island outside of Canterbury). 

The YouGov 2020 research comprised a nationally representative sample of 1,000 New Zealanders aged 18+ years. As a result of the findings, Specsavers has launched a new campaign encouraging Kiwis to be sun smart.