Prevalence of Visual Impairment in Pre-Primary School Children in a Central Indian District

Background: Visual impairment is one of the major public health problems worldwide, especially in developing countries. Objective: To determine the prevalence of visual impairment and its associated factors among school children in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in eight primary schools of Gurage Zone. A total of 1064 pupils, of whom589 boys and 475 girls were selected using multistage sampling technique. Socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were collected using structured questionnaires and visual acuity was measured using Snellen’s chart. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors of visual impairment. Results: The prevalence of visual impairment was 5.2%. Factors significantly associated with visual impairment were age group of 13-18 years (AOR = 9.44, 95% CI = 3.83 – 23.25), school grade level of 5- 8 (AOR = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.23 – 7.17), rural residents (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.22 – 5.54), family’s monthly income of less than 2000 Ethiopian Birr (AOR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.08 – 7.61) and visually impaired parents (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.06 – 4.39). Conclusion: This study found that the prevalence of visual impairment was 5.2%. Keywords: Visual impairment; primary school children; Gurage Zone; Southern Ethiopia.

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Prevalence of Refractive Error and Strabismus in Primary School Children of Tehsil Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Journal of Gandhara Medical and Dental Science ◽

10.37762/jgmds.7-1.99 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 11-21

Author(s):

Faheem Ullah ◽

Naheed Mahsood ◽

Waqas Mohyuddin ◽

Saadullah Afridi ◽

Zia Ur Rehman

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Public Health

OBJECTIVES: Refractive errors and strabismus continue to remain a significant public health problem. Among school children it has an impact on child development. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of refractive error and strabismus among primary school children. METHODOLOGY: It was a cross-sectional study. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the school children. Data was collected in November-December 2013. Visual impairment was defined as, presenting VA of < 6/12. A total of 2288 children (1746 boys and 542 girls) were screened from 26 randomly selected schools. Stratified sampling technique was used. Data were collected on pre-designed questionnaires and entered and analyzed by SPSS software version 16. RESULTS: The mean age of children was 8.10 + 2.3 years. About 4% children were found visually impaired. The prevalence of refractive error was found to be 5.4%, of which 88.6% was uncorrected refractive error. The prevalence of refractive error was found higher in girls than boys, 6.8% and 5.0% respectively. Among types of refractive error, myopia prevalence was 2.3%, hypermetropia prevalence was 2.0% and astigmatism prevalence was 1.1%. The prevalence of strabismus was 1.3%. Refractive error was found as a main cause of visual impairment in school children. Prevalence of strabismus among this study population is relatively low as compared to the global prevalence of 2% to 5%. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that more study to determine the extent of the problem and possible factors for development of refractive error and strabismus types are needed to mitigate these conditions.

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Prevalence of correctable visual impairment in primary school children in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia

Journal of Optometry ◽

10.1016/j.optom.2014.02.001 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 168-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Yousef H. Aldebasi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Primary School ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

School Children ◽

Primary School Children

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Visual Impairment among Primary School Children in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2020/6934013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Ayanaw Tsega Ferede ◽

Destaye Shiferaw Alemu ◽

Alemayehu Desalegn Gudeta ◽

Haile Woretaw Alemu ◽

Mulusew Asferaw Melese

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

School Children ◽

Low Income ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Northwest Ethiopia ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Moderate Degree ◽

Gondar Town

Background. An impairment of the visual system at or shortly after birth adversely affects educational performance of children which typically occurs through vision. Limited evidence on the magnitude and causes of visual impairment is one of the reasons for the low priority given to eye care in low-income countries. Objectives. To estimate the prevalence and determine the causes of visual impairment in primary school children in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Materials and Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 1289 children aged 5–15 years who were randomly selected in 9 primary schools (government and private) from May to June 2016. Visual acuity was measured at 6 m using Snellen’s chart, and children with an acuity of less than 6/18 in the better eye underwent refraction and a detailed eye examination. A cause of their impairment was determined. Data were recorded using pretested tools. . Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16 was used to enter and analyze the data using 95% confidence intervals. Results. The prevalence of visual impairment was 1.8%. Refractive errors (nearly 70%) followed by strabismus and cataract, each contributing 4.3%, were the most frequent causes of visual impairment in the study population. Majority (87%) of the children had moderate degree of vision impairment, and 10–15-year age groups are the more affected ones. Children of age fifteen and above showed statistically significant association with visual impairment (p=0.005). Conclusion. The magnitude of visual impairment in primary school children in the study area is significant. School screening programme is recommended to minimize the burden of visual impairment in the study area.

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Prevalence of impaired vision and associated factors among primary school children in primary schools of Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.2.15194/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Yemisrach Hailu ◽

Desta Hiko ◽

Tamrat Shaweno

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

School Children ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Health Concern ◽

Impaired Vision ◽

Screening Programs

Abstract Background Visual impairment refers to reduction of vision resulting in a lower than normal visual acuity. Globally, approximately 1.3 billion adults and children live with some form of vision impairment. Visual impairment is usually asymptomatic, overlooked and affects school performance and other functions. School programs are recommended for early detection and timely interventions. In resource limited countries like Ethiopia, undetected visual impairment, lack of adequate and up-to-date information on the problem remain as huge gaps. Thus, we assessed the prevalence of visual impairment (VI), and the associated factors among children attending government primary schools of Lideta sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods This study was a s chool based cross-sectional study conducted from April to May 2019, using a two staged-cluster sampling method in Lideta sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From the total of 18 government primary schools in Lideta sub-city, 6 were selected using probability proportionate to size (PPS) method. The study population was primary school children aged 7 to 17 in the selected 6 primary schools. A total of 816 primary school children were included in the study. The selected children have undergone screening for the presence of visual impairment and other eye problems. Children’s parents/guardians were interviewed using structured pre-tested questionnaires. Epi-data3.1 and SPSS version 20 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regression was performed to check association between dependent and independent variables. Significance was set at p-value <0.05.Results A total of 773 children were examined for visual impairment. Out of the 773 children, 370 (47.9%) were males and 403(52.1) were females with age range 7 to 17 years and the mean age being 11.69 (SD 2.64). The prevalence of impaired vision among school based children was 4.4%. The causes of visual impairment included: Myopia (43%), Astigmatism with or without Amblyopia (31%), Hyperopia with or without Amblyopia (20%) and others. The students not being aware of eye problem (AOR=2.2, 95%CI: 1.08-4.35) was only significantly associated factor with visual impairment.Conclusion Visual impairment is a public health concern, the causes are treatable. Regular school screening programs and affordable treatment should be available.

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