Research Topic: Vision Claims on East Coast vs. West Coast

Hypothesis: On average, Americans living within 100 miles of the Atlantic Ocean will have higher lifetime vision health claims than Americans living within 100 miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Theory: Communities tend to develop in circular regions built around large cities. Large cities tend to be established close to large bodies of water. Commuters tend to drive toward the city in the morning and away from the city in the evening. Thus, East Coast residents will tend to be driving toward the sun both in the morning and the evening. West Coast residents will tend to be driving away from the sun both in the morning and the evening. Hence, the premise that citizens on the East Coast will, on average, incur more vision damage due to the prolonged direct sun exposure over time.