The prevalence and predictors of refractive error among school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Refractive error is a common and serious eye disorder that affects more than 153 million people globally. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and pattern of refractive error among male primary school children in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a randomly selected group of 395 students (aged 6-14 years) in Jazan region, Southwest Saudi Arabia. An optometrist and medical students assessed the refraction error using an autorefractor, a Snellen E chart and retinoscopy. Results: The overall prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in either eye was, 22% higher among rural students. The most prevalent refractive error was hyperopia (32.2%) followed by myopic astigmatism (31%) then myopia (17.2%). Next were hyperopic astigmatism (16.1%) and mixed astigmatism (3.5%). The following variables were associated with a higher risk of refractive errors and myopia: living in rural areas, having parents with refractive errors, spending more time on electronic devices and shorter visual distances. Conclusion: Refractive error was highly prevalent among primary school children in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. The rural students were more affected by refractive errors, mainly hyperopia. The preschool vision test should be reconsidered, and a periodic vision examination should be applied to detect vision problems as early as possible.

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Comparison of refractive error and related ocular morbidities between Saudi and Indian school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology and Research ◽

10.4103/jcor.jcor_6_19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 56

Author(s):

ZiaulHaq Yasir ◽

Rajiv Khandekar ◽

Hassan Al-Dhibi ◽

AbdulrahmanSalem Banaeem ◽

AhmadKhaled Al-Shangiti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Indian School

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Prevalence of heterophoria and associations with refractive error, heterotropia and ethnicity in Australian school children

British Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1136/bjo.2009.163709 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 94 (5) ◽

pp. 542-546 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

J. F. Leone ◽

E. Cornell ◽

I. G. Morgan ◽

P. Mitchell ◽

A. Kifley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Australian School

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The prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in Saudi Arabia

African Vision and Eye Health ◽

10.4102/aveh.v80i1.579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Waleed Alghamdi ◽

Godwin O. Ovenseri-Ogbomo

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Rural Community ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Population Based ◽

Vision Impairment ◽

Health Examination ◽

Refractive Errors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Eye Examination

Background: Visual impairment is disproportionately distributed between rural and urban dwellers. Rural dwellers have limited access to the eye care services that are available in urban cities.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.Setting: This research comprised a population-based assessment of the vision and visual status of the inhabitants of Dariyah community.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted amongst the inhabitants of the community of Dariyah. A comprehensive eye examination consisting of visual acuity, ocular health examination, objective and subjective refraction was performed. The examinations were conducted by registered ophthalmologists and optometrists from the Qassim University. Vision impairments were categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Section 9D90, ‘Vision impairment including blindness’ (2018).Results: In all, 68 (24.5%) participants had vision impairment (using the better-seeing eye), with refractive errors being the main cause of vision impairment. Other causes of vision impairment included cataract (20, 7.2%), trichiasis (5, 1.8%) and glaucoma (2, 0.7%). Refractive errors were present in 193 (69.7%), with astigmatism being the commonest refractive error. About 60% of those with refractive errors presented without spectacles for correction, and 20% reported that they had never had an eye examination. Refractive errors could not be determined in 19 (6.9%) of the subjects because of conditions such as matured cataract and other ocular abnormalities.Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive error was found to be the leading cause of vision impairment in this rural community in Saudi Arabia.

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School vision screening programmes in reducing uncorrected refractive error among children in Low and Middle-Income countries-LMIC (systematic review)

Advances in Ophthalmology & Visual System ◽

10.15406/aovs.2020.10.00392 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 91-105

Author(s):

Abraham Opare ◽

Leila H Abdullahi ◽

Deon Minnies ◽

Colin Cook ◽

Maylene Shung-King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Vision Screening ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

School Vision ◽

Uncorrected Refractive Error

ackground: The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error among school-age children is on the rise with detrimental effect on academic performance and socio-economic status of those affected. School vision screening programmes appear to be an effective way of identifying children with uncorrected refractive errors so early intervention can be made. Despite the increasing popularity of school vision screening programmes over the past few years, there is a lot of debate on its effectiveness in reducing the proportion of children with uncorrected refractive error in the long term, especially in settings where resources are limited. Some studies argue that school vision screening programmes are effective while other studies have reported otherwise. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of school vision screening programmes in reducing uncorrected refractive error among children in low and middle income countries using evidence from published studies. Methods and findings: A comprehensive and systematic strategy was used to search various databases including PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) which contains the Cochrane Eyes and vision Trial Register, the Cochrane Library, Medline (1980-2018), CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, Web of Science, the WHO’s Library Information System, Africa-Wide and Scopus. The search was restricted to articles published in English. Randomized control trials, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies and cohort studies were included in this review. Participants included school children with refractive error. Full-text review of search results, data extraction and risk of bias assessment was done by two independent reviewers. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach and data were pooled using the random-effect model. Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria. This review found moderate certainty evidence indicating that school vision screenings may be effective in reducing uncorrected refractive error among school children by 81% (95% CI: 77%; 84%), 24% (95% CI: 13%; 35%) and 20% (95% CI: 18%; 22%) at two, six, and more than six months respectively after its introduction. Results: Results of this review also suggest that school vision screening may be effective in achieving 54% (95% CI: 25%; 100%), 57% (95% CI: 46%; 70%), 37% (95% CI: 26%; 52%), and 32% (95% CI: 14%; 72%) spectacle-wear compliance among school children at less than three months, at three months, at six months and at more than six months respectively after its introduction (low to moderate certainty evidence). This review further found moderate to high certainty evidence indicating that school vision screening, together with provision of spectacles, may be relatively cost effective, safe and has a positive impact on the academic performance of school children. Conclusion: The findings of this review show that school vision screening, together with provision of spectacles, may be a safe and cost-effective way of reducing the proportion of children with uncorrected refractive error, with long-term positive impact on academic performance of children. Most of the studies included in this review were, however, conducted in Asia. Research to investigate the effectiveness of school vision screening programmes in other parts of the world like Africa where few studies have been conducted is highly recommended

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Prevalence of Malocclusion among Male School Children in Riyadh City

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2018.207 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

pp. 1296-1299 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fahad M. Albakri ◽

Navin Ingle ◽

Mansour K. Assery

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Clinical Examination ◽

School Children ◽

Open Bite ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Class I ◽

Class Iii ◽

Deep Bite ◽

Riyadh City ◽

Maxillary Arch

BACKGROUND: Malocclusion is defined as irregularity of the teeth or a molar relationship between the dental arches beyond the range of what is accepted as normal.AIM: To determine the prevalence of malocclusion among male school children aged 12-15 years old in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred (500) school children in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia with an age of 12-15 years participated in this study. The prevalence of malocclusion among the students was determined using a clinical examination form specially prepared for this study. The required information was collected from each subject, and descriptive statistics were performed.RESULTS: The Molar Class I relation involved the highest percentage of the sample (71.2%) while Class II relation involved only 23% which was four times of Class III (5.8%). The maxillary arch crowding was present in 23.2% of the sample which was double than that of spacing. Whereas, the mandibular arch crowding was present in 28% of the sample which was three times more than spacing (8.8%). The open bite was present in 4% of the sample while deep bite was present in 9.6%.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malocclusion involved the highest percentage in Class I in comparison with other malocclusions.

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Prevalence Study of Ocular Morbidity among Primary School Children in Delhi Area

Journal of Medical Academics ◽

10.5005/jp-journals-10070-0048 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 43-45

Author(s):

Sridhara Reddy ◽

Gurunadh Satyanarayana Velamakanni ◽

Shailesh Mogra

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Screening Program ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Prevalence Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Group I ◽

Ocular Morbidity ◽

Group 5

ABSTRACT Aim To estimate the prevalence of ocular morbidity among primary school children in Delhi area. Materials and methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was conducted among primary school children of age group 5–12 years in Delhi area. A total of 1,100 school-going children were evaluated. After questionnaire administration, visual acuity, examination of anterior and posterior segment structures of the eyes of the children were carried out. For the statistical analysis, children were divided into three groups: group I (5–7 years), group II (8–10 years), and group III ((<12 years) based on age. Results A total of 1,100 school children (625 boys and 475 girls) participated in the study. A total of 282 (25.6%) children had visual impairment and 315 (28.6%) children had ocular morbidities. The common ocular morbidities identified were refractive error 25.6%, color vision defective 0.9%, convergence defect 1.8%, and squint 0.2%. The older age group (8–10 years) had a higher prevalence of refractive error, especially myopia, compared to the younger age group (5–7 years) and group ((<12 years) (p < 0.001). Conclusion A high prevalence of ocular morbidity among school children of age group 8–10 years was observed. Refractive errors were the most common ocular disorders. This study emphasized that a simple school visual screening program is effective for the early detection of ocular problems. How to cite this article Reddy S, Velamakanni GS, Mogra S. Prevalence Study of Ocular Morbidity among Primary School Children in Delhi Area. J Med Acad 2020;3(2):43–45.

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Prevalence and risk factors for myopia among school children in Aba, Nigeria

African Vision and Eye Health ◽

10.4102/aveh.v76i1.369 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Uchenna C. Atowa ◽

Alvin J. Munsamy ◽

Samuel O. Wajuihian

Keyword(s):

School Children ◽

Refractive Error ◽

Age Groups ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Multi Stage ◽

Significant Difference

Aim: To study the prevalence of myopia among school children in Aba, Nigeria.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in public and private (primary and secondary) schools. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used for selecting participants aged between 8 and 15 years from 12 schools in Aba, Nigeria. Data were analysed for 1197 children who underwent a comprehensive eye examination. The children were divided according to the following criteria: age groups (group 1 [8–11 years] or group 2 [12–15 years]), gender (male or female), level of education (primary or secondary) and type of school (public or private). Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤ -0.50 D in the poorer eye.Results: The prevalence of myopia was estimated to be 2.7%. Of the 96 children with refractive error, 78.1% were uncorrected. In using logistic regression analysis, risk of developing myopia was associated with older age groups (odds ratio [OR]: 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–9.11; p < 0.010) and higher level of education (OR: 1.73; 95% CI, 1.05–2.86; p < 0.030). There was no significant difference in myopia prevalence between male and female children (p = 0.89).Conclusion: Although the prevalence of myopia and overall prevalence of refractive error in school children in Aba were low, the high prevalence of uncorrected refractive error is a significant public health problem. An effective and sustainable children’s vision screening programme is needed to prevent visual impairment and blindness.

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Using an Exergame in Inclusive Physical Education for Elementary School Children with Hearing Impairment: A Future Area of Research in Saudi Arabia

Studies of Applied Economics ◽

10.25115/eea.v39i10.5808 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (10) ◽

Author(s):

Abdulrahman Nasser Alshahrany ◽

Halijah Bt Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Physical Education ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Motor Skills ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Children With Hearing Loss

Over recent decades, the common understanding of hearing impairment has improved. People are more concerned with hearing impairment and have come to a consensus that care and positivity must be addressed. Therefore, recent trends in children with hearing disabilities inclusion have started in regular schools. The holistic training program provides opportunities for everyday people to learn about their abilities and special skills. The teacher needs to take care of the locomotive and object control skills of the child through the development of necessary motor skills to meet life requirements, such as walking, running, throwing, etc. The current study explores the ability of primary school children with hearing loss to incorporate an exergame to improve fundamental motor skills within an inclusive physical education classroom in Saudi Arabia. The study used a Qualitative Method and carried out a content analysis together with a Systematic Literature Review to understand the research carried out in this field. A detailed analysis was carried out of secondary data from articles indexed in Scopus and the websites of the scientific databases and other related documents in the field of study. This study would expand the research awareness related to the success of vital engine skills in elementary school children with hearing impairment through the use of an exergame in comprehensive physical education.

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