Association Between Childhood Visual Acuity and Late Adolescent Psychotic Experiences: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Abstract A cross-sectional association between visual impairment and psychosis exists, but longitudinal evidence from children and young people is limited. We investigated whether childhood visual acuity was associated with subsequent psychotic experiences. Our sample was 6686 individuals from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). We investigated whether our primary exposures, best corrected visual acuity at ages 7 and 11, were associated with psychotic experiences at ages 17 and 24. We also tested whether the following exposures at ages 7 and 11 were associated with subsequent psychotic experiences: requiring glasses, presence of any visual impairment, and between-eye visual acuity difference; and at age 7: strabismus, measures of binocular vision, history of eye patch, near vision impairment, and abnormal saccadic or pursuit eye movements. Analyses used multilevel models before and after adjusting for confounders. Odds of psychotic experiences increased with each 0.1-point deterioration in visual acuity score at age 11 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.42), and at age 7 (AOR 1.18; 95% CI 1.00–1.40). Wearing glasses and visual impairment at age 11 were associated with psychotic experiences (AOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.21–2.19; AOR 1.64; 95% CI 1.23–2.19, respectively). There was no evidence of an association with other visual exposures. Visual acuity impairment in childhood is associated with psychotic experiences in late adolescence. Future research should aim to elucidate the nature of this association.

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Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness among school children in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

International Journal of Scientific Reports ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-2156.intjscirep20181393 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 93

Author(s):

Abdul Rauf Awan ◽

Junaid Jamshed ◽

Muhammad Mushtaq Khan ◽

Zahid Latif

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Public Schools ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Private Schools ◽

School Children ◽

School Health ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Screening Program ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Vision loss in childhood has serious implications in all stages of child’s growth and development. It poses social, educational and occupational challenges, with affected children being at greater risk of developing behavioral, psychological and emotional problems, lower self-esteem and poorer social integration. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and identify the causes of visual impairment and blindness in school children of UC Gojra, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan so that prevention strategies could be implemented.Methods: This was a school-based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among public and private schools. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used for selecting study participants aged 5-20 years from 24 schools in Muzaffarabad. The vision of school children was examined for visual acuity using standard Snellen chart. Those participants who had visual acuity of <6/18 in either eye underwent a more detailed ophthalmic examination to diagnose the causes of VI. An exploration of demographic variables was conducted using Chi-square test. Results: The mean age of participants was 10±2.83. The prevalence of visual impairment was 19.6% and 2.3% for severe visual impairment. The age group most affected by VI was 11-15 years (74.2%). There were increased chances of developing VI with advancing age of the participants. Males contributed 88.7% of the cases of VI while females contributed only 11.3%. The class category 5-6 had higher percentage of VI cases (32.7%). Public schools contributed 52.8% of the cases of VI while for private schools the corresponding percentage was 47.2%. The leading cause of VI was refractive error (89.3%) followed by amblyopia (5.0%). Other causes of VI included cataract (1.2%), corneal disease (1.8%), strabismus (1.8%) and nystagmus (0.6%).Conclusions: There is a need to implement school health policy on visual screening prior to admissions in schools and annual eye screening program for early detection and prompt treatment of eye problems among school children in Muzaffarabad.

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The STORK dataset: Linked midwifery and delivery records of the mothers and index children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16247.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 229

Author(s):

Mark Mummé ◽

Andy Boyd ◽

Jean Golding ◽

John Macleod

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Gold Standard ◽

Small Sample ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Record System ◽

Standard Data ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Sample Spot ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

This data note describes the linked antenatal and delivery records of the mothers and index children of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort study. These records were extracted from the computerised maternity record system ‘STORK’ used by the two largest NHS trusts in the study catchment area. The STORK database was designed to be populated by midwives and other health professionals during a woman’s pregnancy and shortly after the baby’s birth. These early computer records were initiated in the early 1990s, shortly before the start of enrolment to ALSPAC. At this time the use of electronic medical record systems such as ‘STORK’ was very new, the accuracy of the records has been questioned and little contemporary detailed documentation is available. Small sample spot checks on the accuracy of the information in ‘STORK’ suggests extensive missingness and differences against gold-standard fieldworker abstracted information in some variables; yet high levels of completeness and agreement with gold-standard data in others. Software code was created using STATA (StataCorp LLC) to transform the original CSV (comma-separated values) files into a cohesive and consistent format which was reviewed for data-completeness for its potential use in future research. The cleaned ‘STORK’ records provide health, social and maternity data from the very earliest period of the ALSPAC study in an easily accessible format, which is particularly useful when other sources of data are missing.

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Prevalence of severe visual impairment and barriers to access eye care services in the Udupi district

Asian Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.35119/asjoo.v17i4.291 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 343-355

Author(s):

Lavanya G. Rao ◽

Dushyanth Sharma ◽

Sulatha V. Bhandary ◽

Divya Handa ◽

Yogish Kamath

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Visual Acuity ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Eye Care ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Services ◽

Care Facilities ◽

Lack Of Knowledge

Aim: To assess the prevalence of severe visual impairment (SVI) and reasons for not accessing eye care services in a field practice area of a tertiary care hospital. Study design: Cross-sectional observational study. Materials and methods: Through a cross-sectional study using simple random sampling, a total of 1510, individuals above 18 years of age, from six rural and maternity welfare centers (RMCW) within a distance of 20 km from a tertiary hospital were approached. All participants underwent basic assessment of visual acuity, anterior segment evaluation using torch light, and answered a structured questionnaire on eye care. Results: Of 1510 subjects, 267 had SVI (defined as visual acuity < 6/60 either in one or both eyes) with a prevalence of 17.7%. SVI was higher among men and those above 60 years of age (52.8%). Significant association was found between barriers to accessing eye care facilities and lack of knowledge to access health care (p = 0.004), lack of financial support (95% CI, p = 0.006), and social reasons (95% CI, p = 0.028). Prevalence of SVI among diabetics was 32.7% as compared to non-diabetics (OR: 2.630; 95% confidence interval: 1.864–3.712), and among hypertensives was 34.61% as compared to non-hypertensives (OR: 2.836; 95% confidence interval: 1.977–4.068). Conclusion: In spite of being close to a tertiary care center, a prevalence of SVI in 17.7% of this population indicates a lack of knowledge regarding the importance of self-health care in subjects. This emphasizes the need to increase the awareness among the general public to access the ophthalmic health care facilities in order to improve the ocular health of the patients.

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Nature Enhanced Meditation: Effects on Mindfulness, Connectedness to Nature, and Pro-Environmental Behavior

Environment and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0013916520952452 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 001391652095245

Author(s):

Travis N. Ray ◽

Scott A. Franz ◽

Nicole L. Jarrett ◽

Scott M. Pickett

Keyword(s):

Natural Environment ◽

Environmental Behavior ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Connectedness To Nature ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Before And After

Previous research suggests that meditation, a mindfulness exercise, could result in increased connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behavior. Exposure to nature also is associated with these outcomes. It was hypothesized that meditation alongside stimuli reminiscent of the natural environment would produce enhanced effects. Participants ( N = 97) were randomly assigned to complete a 4-week online meditation program consisting of a guided meditation paired with either nature sounds (“nature group”) or spa-like sounds (“control group”). Mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavior were assessed before and after the program. Meditation, in general, produced increases in mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, the nature group had a greater rate of change in connectedness to nature when compared to the control group. The results extend previous cross-sectional research by demonstrating the beneficial effects of meditation on pro-environmental behavior and its theorized mechanisms, which may be informative for future research and interventions.

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Prenatal and neonatal factors for the development of childhood visual impairment in primary and middle school students: a cross-sectional survey in Guangzhou, China

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e032721

Author(s):

Bolan Yu ◽

Lijuan Dai ◽

Juanjuan Chen ◽

Wen Sun ◽

Jingsi Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

Visual Acuity ◽

Middle School Students ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

High Birth Weight ◽

Delivery Mode ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

School Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Postnatal Factors

ObjectivesIn this cross-sectional survey, we sought to determine the prevalence of and the influence of prenatal and neonatal factors on childhood visual impairment without correction (VIUC) in a paediatric population from Guangzhou, China.SettingThe health survey covered 11 administrative districts in Guangzhou, including 991 schools.ParticipantsAll of the primary and middle school students in Guangzhou were invited to complete an online questionnaire with the help of their parents. The results of physical examinations were reported by school medical departments. The results of the questionnaire were collected by the researchers. In total, 253 301 questionnaires were collected.Primary outcome measuresThe students’ uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was examined by trained optometrists by standard logarithmic visual acuity charts. VIUC was defined by UCVA (of the better eye) (UCVA <6/12) with three levels: light VIUC (UCVA ≥6/18 to <6/12), mild VIUC (UCVA ≥6/60 to <6/18) and severe VIUC (UCVA <6/60).ResultsA total of 39 768 individuals (15.7%) had VIUC, and the rate was much higher among grade 10 to 12 students (51.4%) than among grade 1 to 6 students (6.71%). The following factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of VIUC: female gender, high birth weight, formula feeding, not having siblings, higher level of parents’ education, parental myopia, much homework time and little outdoor activity. Delivery mode was not associated with the risk of VIUC.ConclusionsThis study validates known major prenatal/genetic, perinatal and postnatal factors for childhood VIUC. In conclusion, prenatal and perinatal factors can affect the onset of childhood VIUC, but parental myopia and postnatal factors are the main factors.

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Impact of bladder cancer (BC) on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in 1,476 older Americans.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.9549 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 9549-9549

Author(s):

Chunkit Fung ◽

Chintan Pandya ◽

Katia Noyes ◽

Emelian Scosyrev ◽

Deepak M. Sahasrabudhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smoking Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Older Age ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Older Americans ◽

Comorbidity Score ◽

Before And After ◽

Related Quality ◽

The Impact

9549 Background: The impact of BC on HRQL is poorly understood. To our knowledge, this is the first and largest cross-sectional study that compares HRQL of patients before and after BC diagnosis (DX). Methods: Our sample included 1,476 BC patients (≥ age 65) within the SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey linkage database (1998-2007). We assessed differences in HRQL as measured by SF-36 physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) summary scores in patients who had a survey >1 yr before BC DX (n=620) and those who had a survey after BC DX (n=856). We compared groups by year from BC DX using regression analyses and results were adjusted for cancer stage, race, gender, age at BC DX, marital status, education, income, smoking status, activity of daily living (ADLs), and non-cancer comorbidities. Results: Patients who had a survey after BC DX were diagnosed with BC at an older age than those with a survey before BC DX (55.9% at age ≥75 yr vs. 36.8%; P<0.01). Other baseline demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were similar. Baseline HRQL were poor in patients before DX (PCS mean=40.1; MCS mean=51.1) with 50.6% and 31.9% of them having comorbidity score ≥2 and impairment of ≥1 ADLs, respectively. After BC DX, significant decreases in PCS (-2.7; 95% CI -3.8,-1.7) and MCS (-1.4; 95% CI -2.6, -0.3) were observed, with HRQL being lowest in those who had BC DX within 1 yr (PCS mean= 36.6; MCS mean=49.7). Declines in PCS during the <1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, and 10+ yr periods after BC DX compared to before BC DX were -3.8 (P<0.01), -2.5 (P<0.01), -2.2 (P=0.01), -1.1 (P=0.19) and -0.8 (P=0.57) whereas decreases in MCS were -2.0 (P=0.01), -2.2 (P<0.01), -1.2 (P=0.21), -0.1 (P=0.92), -0.8 (P=0.62) respectively. More advanced BC, lower educational level, higher comorbidity score, and impaired ADLs were significantly associated with both worse PCS and MCS after BC DX (P<0.05). Lower income and older age at BC DX showed significant association with low PCS (P<0.05). Conclusions: Older BC patients are a vulnerable population with poor baseline HRQL. HRQL of patients after BC DX is significantly worse than HRQL of patients before DX, possibly due to therapy and/or disease progression. Future research that evaluates interventions to improve HRQL in older patients with BC is critical.

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Bilateral visual acuity decline in males with choroideremia: a pooled, cross-sectional meta-analysis

BMC Ophthalmology ◽

10.1186/s12886-022-02250-z ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Duygu Bozkaya ◽

Heng Zou ◽

Cindy Lu ◽

Nicole W. Tsao ◽

Byron L. Lam

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Retinal Disease ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Data Set ◽

Transition Age ◽

Before And After ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Choroideremia is a rare inherited retinal disease that leads to blindness. Visual acuity (VA) is a key outcome measure in choroideremia treatment studies, but VA decline rates change with age. An accurate understanding of the natural deterioration of VA in choroideremia is important to assess the treatment effect of new therapies in which VA is the primary outcome measure. We conducted a meta-analysis of data on individuals with choroideremia to determine the rate of VA deterioration between the better- and worse-seeing eye (BSE and WSE, respectively). Methods Data were collected from the prospective Natural History of the Progression of Choroideremia (NIGHT) study (613 eyes, baseline data only), studies included in a recent meta-analysis, and studies identified in a targeted literature search performed on March 25, 2020, including individual best-corrected VA (BCVA) and age data in male individuals with choroideremia. Best-corrected VA decline rates (measured by logMAR units) by age and trends in BCVA decline rates in the BSE and WSE were evaluated. Results Data from 1037 males (1602 eyes; mean age, 41.8 years) were included. Before and after an age cutoff of 33.8 years, BCVA decline rates for the WSE were 0.0086 and 0.0219 logMAR per year, respectively. Before and after an age cutoff of 39.1 years, BCVA decline rates for the BSE were 0.00001 and 0.0203 logMAR per year, respectively. Differences in absolute BCVA and decline rates increased between the 2 eyes until age ~ 40; thereafter, differences in absolute BCVA and decline rates were similar between eyes. Conclusions Using the largest choroideremia data set to date, this analysis demonstrates accelerated BCVA decline beginning between 30 and 40 years of age. Disparate interocular progression rates were observed before the transition age, with similar interocular progression rates after the transition age.

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Maternal haemoglobin in pregnancy and offspring childhood weight and height trajectories: analysis of a prospective birth cohort study

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16283.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 236

Author(s):

Yvette V Pyne ◽

Laura D Howe ◽

Abigail Fraser

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Positive Association ◽

Population Based ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Childhood Weight ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

In Pregnancy

Background: Both anaemia and high haemoglobin in pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including foetal growth restriction. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between maternal haemoglobin in pregnancy and trajectories of length/height and weight from birth through childhood. Methods: Data from 7,597 singleton pregnancies in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), an ongoing, prospective, UK population-based pregnancy cohort study were used. We examined associations between maternal haemoglobin (overall pregnancy and trimester specific) and offspring length and weight at birth, as well as trajectories of height and weight gain from birth to age 10 years derived from multilevel models. Results: Mean pregnancy haemoglobin was 11.61 g/dL (SD 1.12). For each 1g/dL higher mean overall pregnancy haemoglobin, offspring were on average -0.30 cm shorter (95%CI: -0.35, -0.24, p <0.001), and -97.7 g lighter (95%CI: -110.42, -84.93, p <0.001) at birth when adjusting for potential confounders. Trimester specific inverse associations with birth length and weight were strongest for third trimester haemoglobin. There was evidence of a positive association between maternal haemoglobin levels and offspring height gain up to the age of one year and no strong evidence of associations between pregnancy haemoglobin and childhood weight gain. Conclusions: In high income countries, higher maternal haemoglobin in pregnancy may be a concern, as well as anaemia. Further studies are needed to define ‘high’ haemoglobin in pregnancy and whether monitoring of women with high pregnancy haemoglobin is warranted.

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VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND ENGAGEMENT IN COGNITIVELY STIMULATING ACTIVITIES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2432 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S656-S656

Author(s):

Bonnielin Swenor ◽

beatriz Munoz ◽

Eleanor M Simonsick

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Significant Decline ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Impaired Group ◽

Cognitive Activities ◽

Using Data ◽

The Relationship ◽

Stereo Acuity ◽

Over Time

Abstract We examined the relationship between visual impairment (VI) and engagement in cognitively stimulating activities using data from 924 participants in the Cognitive Vitality Sub-Study of the Health ABC Study. At Year 3 (baseline for these analyses), vision was assessed as: visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), and stereo acuity (SA). Participation in cognitively stimulating activities was determined based on responses to 12 questions (administered at Years 3, 5, 7, and 9) assessing frequency of participation ranging from none to daily. We calculated the total number of activities engaged in at least monthly. In cross-sectional analyses adjusted for age, race, and sex, impaired VA (≤20/40, 8%), CS (<1.55, 5%), and SA (<80 secs arc, 29%) was associated with participation in fewer cognitive activities (β=-0.54, 95% CI:-1.06, -0.03; β=-0.59, 95% CI:-0.12, 0.06; β=-0.40, 95% CI:-0.81, -0.18, respectively). Longitudinally, change per year in the number of activities differed by baseline participation levels. Those participating in ≥5 activities at baseline (population median) had a significant decline in the number of activities, irrespective of VI status. However, for those participating in <5 activities at baseline, the increase in these activities tended to be lesser in the VI than in non-VI groups, and for SA this increase was significantly lower for the impaired group (βimpaired=0.004; 95% CI:-0.05, 0.05; βnot-impaired=0.06; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.10; time x SA interaction p=0.0496). These data indicate that older adults with VI participate in fewer cognitive activities and the change in participation over time differs from than those without VI.

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Diet at Age 10 and 13 Years in Children Identified as Picky Eaters at Age 3 Years and in Children Who Are Persistent Picky Eaters in A Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11040807 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 807 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Caroline M Taylor ◽

Nicholas P Hays ◽

Pauline M Emmett

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Food Choices ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Picky Eating ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Avon Longitudinal Study

Picky eating has been associated with lower intakes of some nutrients and foods during preschool ages but there is little known about the longer-term diet. The aim of this study was to characterise the diets of children aged 10 and 13 years who had been identified as: (1) picky eaters at age 3 years (cross-sectional); and (2) picky eaters at 2–5.5 years old (longitudinal). Picky eating behaviour (PE) was identified in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) from parental/caregiver questionnaires. Dietary intake was assessed at age 3.5 years and repeated at 10 and 13 years. For cross-sectional PE compared with non-PE there were differences at age 10 years that were similar to those at 3.5 years: lower intakes of protein (−5%) and fibre (−7%) and of meat (−15%), fruit (−10%) and vegetables (−33%). At 13 years, differences in vegetable (−23%), fruit (−14%) and meat (−8%) intakes were evident. For longitudinal (persistent) PE, differences were more pronounced at each age. More effective strategies to help parents to widen the food choices of their children at early ages need to be developed, focusing particularly on vegetable and fruit intakes.

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