兰州市中学生屈光状况及其影响因素的调查分析

目的:调查兰州市中学生屈光不正的发病率并探讨近视发病的危险因素。方法:采用前瞻性调查设计,对抽样的学生进行有关家庭因素及用眼状态的问卷调查,并进行视力测量以及包括裂隙灯、视网膜镜、矫正视力等的全面眼部检查。采集各项指标,输入应用程序,采用SPSS11.0软件进行统计分析。结果:在2256名年龄介于15～19岁的学生中,2037名(90.3%)学生患有屈光不正。近视是引起屈光不正的首要原因(1951/2256,86.5%),散光为第二位原因(921/2256,40.8%),弱视(10/2256,0.4%)、斜视(5/2256,0.2%)、远视(4/2256,0.2%)和其它眼病的发病率相对较低。在患有屈光不正的学生中约有95.3%在接受调查前已经佩戴眼镜。年龄、性别、用眼状态及家族史是近视发病的危险因素。结论:兰州市中学生屈光不正发病率及其发病的危险因素与国内其它地区类似,采取一定的干预措施保护中学生的视力是有必要的。     

Prevalence of refractive errors in middle school students in Lanzhou city

AIM: To assess the prevalence of refractive errors in middle school students in Lanzhou city and explore the risk factors for myopia. · METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A questionnaire assessed the students' socioeconomic background and visual tasks followed by visual acuity assessment and a full eye examination including slit-lamp examination, fundus evaluation, retinoscopy, and subjective refraction. · RESULTS: Among 2 256 enumerated students aged 15-19 years,2 037(90.3%) students had significant refractive errors. Myopia was the leading refractive error (1 951/2 256, 86.5%), astigmatism was the second most common refractive error (921/2 256, 40.8%), but amblyopia (10/2 256, 0.4%), strabismus (5/2 256, 0.2%), hyperopia (4/2 256, 0.2%) and other treatable eye disorders were uncommon. Almost 95.3% of students with significant refractive errors wore spectacles before the survey. Age, sex, visual tasks, and a parental history of myopia were risk factors for myopia. · CONCLUSION: The prevalence of refractive errors and the risk factors for myopia in schoolchildren in Lanzhou city are similar to those reported in other regions of China. Interventions of myopia progression should be performed to protect the visual acuity of school-aged students.     

Prevalence of refractive errors in school-age children in Morocco

Background:  The prevalence of refractive errors in school-age children in Morocco was assessed.
Methods:  A total of 545 children (300 boys and 245 girls, between 6 and 16 years of age) attending school were examined to assess their refractive errors in a field study in Morocco (North Africa). The examination included autorefraction under cycloplegia and visual acuity, stereopsis and anterior corneal-radius measurements .
Results:  We found a low prevalence of myopia (≤−0.5 D SE [spherical equivalent] in at least one eye), i.e. only 6.1%. The prevalence of hyperopia (≥2.0 D SE in at least one eye) was 18.3%. Astigmatism (≤−0.75 D of cylinder in at least one eye) was found in 23.5% of these children. The low prevalence of large refractive errors makes visual acuity in these children very good. In general, the corneal radii did not significantly vary with age. There were no significant differences between the distribution of refractive errors in these children according to gender but there were with respect to age.
Conclusions:  There was a low prevalence of myopia in these African children, astigmatism being the most frequent refractive error. The mean refractive errors found were low, and therefore visual acuity was high in these children.     

2010年上海市宝山区小学生屈光不正和视力损伤的患病率调查

背景 流行病学调查表明,青少年视力损伤是一个全球性的公共卫生问题,其首要原因是未矫正的屈光不正,因此一定规模的流行病学调查对儿童屈光不正的矫正具有重要意义.目前尚缺乏上海市大规模儿童视力损伤和屈光不正的流行病学调查资料. 目的 调查上海市6 ～12岁小学生视力损伤与屈光不正的患病情况.方法 采用横断面调查研究设计,于2010年5月至2011年4月分层随机整群抽取上海市宝山区6所学校的4 686名小学生进行研究,眼部检查包括视力、外眼、眼前节、屈光间质、眼底和眼压检查,并记录睫状肌麻痹后电脑验光的结果和眼位.结果 实际受检学生4 594人,应答率为98.0％,接受睫状肌麻痹后验光者3 975人,占84.8％.双眼裸眼视力≤0.5者占14.4％（662/4 594）,其中343人配戴眼镜,占51.8％.所有受检者中,任一眼裸眼视力≤0.5者1 031人,占22.4％.受检的视力损伤者中屈光不正占96.9％（999/1 031）,弱视占3.6％（37/1 031）.接受睫状肌麻痹后验光的小学生中,近视、远视和散光的患病率分别为31.1％、4.3％和33.0％.公办学校的小学生近视患病率高于外来务工随迁子女学校的学生,差异有统计学意义（x2=5.46,P=0.02）.Logistic回归分析显示,年龄和女生与近视的发生及发展明显有关（年龄：OR=1.60,95％ CI：1.53 ～ 1.68,P＜0.01;女生：OR=1.33,95％CI：1.16～1.54,P＜0.01）. 结论 中国上海市小学生视力损害的主要原因是近视,应注意筛查并提高小学生屈光不正的矫正覆盖率.     

郑州市金水区小学生视力状况调查

目的　调查郑州市金水区７～１２岁小学生视力状况及屈光不正的患病情况,为小学生视力保健工作提供科学依据。方法　横断面调查研究,分层整群抽样方法,以学校为单位,随机抽取郑州市金水区３所小学,对抽样学校内的１～６年级在校学生进行普查,共调查７８４５名学生。眼部检查包括裸眼视力、矫正视力、眼前节、眼底、眼压及眼位检查,并对任意一眼或双眼裸眼视力＜１．０且眼压正常的儿童进行睫状肌麻痹验光。结果　实际受检学生７６８１名,应答率为９７．９１％。裸眼视力在７～８岁呈现逐年增加趋势,两两比较差异有显著统计学意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）;９～１２岁时裸眼视力视力呈现逐年下降趋势,两两比较差异有显著统计学意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）。任一眼裸眼视力≤０．５者占总人数３７．３９％,并且随着年龄增长,视力低下人群所占比例逐渐加大（７岁１５．２５％、８岁１８．３５％、９岁３１．６７％、１０岁４２．９６％、１１岁５１．７３％、１２岁６０．０３％）。接受睫状肌麻痹后验光的小学生中,近视的总患病率为３８．５８％,远视的总患病率为４．８４％。Ｌｏｇｉｓｔｉｃ回归分析显示,近视眼的等效球镜度与年龄呈显著正相关（ｒ＝１．７６９,Ｐ＜０．０１）;远视眼的等效球镜度与年龄呈显著负相关（ｒ＝－０．９２３,Ｐ＜０．０１）。受检的视力损伤者中屈光不正占８６．４０％,弱视占１２．４０％,沙眼导致的角膜混浊占０．０３％,其他原因导致的角膜混浊占０．３１％,白内障占０．４４％,视网膜疾病占０．１９％,其他致病原因占０．２５％。结论　郑州市金水区７～１２岁小学生视力损害的主要原因是近视,９岁是正视向近视转变的高敏年龄。     

Prevalence of eye diseases in primary school children in a rural area of Tanzania

AIMS: The study measured the prevalence of eye diseases in primary school children between 7 and 19 years of age in a rural area of Tanzania, and investigated whether teachers could successfully provide the first component of a school eye screening service. METHODS: Teachers from each of three primary schools in Mwanza Region tested visual acuity using a Snellen's E chart in 1438 pupils. 1386 of these pupils were then interviewed and underwent a full eye examination by an eye team. RESULTS: 10 pupils (0.7%) had bilateral poor eyesight (visual acuity worse than 6/12), and an additional 14 pupils (1.0%) had unilateral poor eyesight. Significant refractive errors causing visual acuity less than 6/12 (1.0%), strabismus (0. 5%), and amblyopia (0.2%) were uncommon. Overall, 76 pupils (5.5%) had active trachoma, though the prevalence was 15.5% in the poorest school. 73 pupils (5.3%) reported night blindness, eight (0.6%) had Bitot's spots, and 11 (0.8%) had corneal scars. Simple screening by teachers correctly identified 80% of the pupils who were found to have bilateral poor eyesight by the eye team, with 91% specificity. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of significant refractive errors was not high enough to justify a school eye screening programme solely for this purpose. However, a programme may be justified in areas where trachoma is common. Further research is needed to validate the frequent reports of night blindness and to establish the public health importance of vitamin A deficiency in this age group.     

The prevalence of vision impairment and refractive error in 3654 first year students at Tianjin Medical University

AIM: To determine the prevalence of vision impairment (VI) and refractive error in first year university students at the Tianjin Medical University. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional observational cohort study of VI and refractive error among first year university students at the Tianjin Medical University. The first year university students were involved in this study and were given a detailed questionnaire including age, birth date, and spectacle wearing history. A standardized ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity (VA), slit-lamp examination, non-cycloplegic auto-refraction, objective refraction, fundus photography, and examination of their spectacles were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 3654 participants were included in this study. Totally 3436 (94.03%) individuals had VI in this population. Totally 150 (4.10%) individuals had VI due to ocular disease, including amblyopia, congenital cataract, retinal atrophy or degeneration, strabismus, congenital nystagmus, refractive surgery orthokeratology. Totally 3286 (89.93%) subjects had VI due to refractive error. Only 218 (5.97%) students were emmetropia. Moreover, refractive error was the main cause for the VI (95.63%). Totally 3242 (92.52%) students were myopia and the prevalence of mild, moderate, and high myopia subgroup was 27.05%, 44.35%, and 21.26% respectively. Totally 44 (1.29%) subjects were hyperopic. The rates of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), presenting visual acuity (PVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) which better than 20/20 in both eyes were 5.65%, 22.32% and 82.13% respectively. The rates of correction, under correction and well correction in myopia subjects were 82.73%, 84.39% and 15.61%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We present a high prevalence of refractive errors and high rates of under correction refractive error among first year university students. These results may help to promote vision protection work in young adults.     

The prevalence of refractive errors among schoolchildren in Dezful, Iran

AIM: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors among schoolchildren in urban and rural areas of Dezful County, Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, using random cluster sampling, 5721 Dezful schoolchildren were selected from 39 clusters. The participants in the study totalled 5544; 3673 elementary and middle school students and 1871 high school students. For the former group, cycloplegic refraction and for the latter, non-cycloplegic refraction was tested. In all participants, uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity were determined, and those with a visual acuity of 20/40 or worse, underwent a complete ophthalmic examination to determine the cause of visual impairment. A spherical equivalent of -0.5 diopter (D) or worse was defined as myopia, +2.0 D or more was defined as hyperopia, and a cylinder refraction greater than 0.75 D was considered astigmatism. RESULTS: The uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or worse in the better eye of 224 schoolchildren (3.8% of participants). This figure (percentage) was 14 (0.03%) based on their best corrected visual acuity and 96 (1.7%) with their presenting vision. According to results of cycloplegic refraction, 3.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.5 to 4.4) of the primary and middle school students were myopic and 16.6% (95% CI, 13.6 to 19.7) were hyperopic. For high school students, these rates were 2.1% (95% CI, 0.7 to 3.5) and 33.0% (95% CI, 24.9 to 41.1), respectively, with non-cycloplegic refraction. In the multivariate logistic regression for primary and middle school students, myopia was correlated with age (p = 0.030), and hyperopia was correlated with age (p<0.001) and area of residence (p = 0.007). In high school students, hyperopia again showed a correlation with their area of residence (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The present study reveals the considerable prevalence rates of refractive errors among schoolchildren in Dezful County and the high rate of an unmet need for their correction. Although myopia is not very prevalent, the high rate of hyperopia in the studied population emphasises its need for attention.     

Screening for visual impairment: outcome among schoolchildren in a rural area of Delhi

Background:

Uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of vision impairment in school-aged children. The current study focuses on the effectiveness of school eye screening in correcting refractive errors.

Objectives:

1. To study the magnitude of visual impairment among school children. 2. To assess the compliance of students for refraction testing, procurement and use of spectacles.

Materials and Methods:

An intervention study was conducted in schools of the north- west district of Delhi, in the rural field practice area of a medical college. Students studying in five government schools in the field practice area were chosen as the study subjects.

Results:

Out of 1123 students enrolled, 1075 (95.7%) students were screened for refractive errors. Low vision (visual acuity < 20/60) in the better eye was observed in 31 (2.9%) children and blindness (visual acuity <20/200) in 10 (0.9%) children. Compliance with referral for refraction was very low as only 51 (41.5%) out of 123 students could be tested for refraction. Out of 48 students, 34 (70.8%) procured spectacles from family resources but its regular use was found among only 10 (29.4%) students. The poor compliance among students stems out of various myths and perceptions regarding use of spectacles prevalent in the community.

Conclusion:

Refractive error is an important cause of avoidable blindness among rural school children. Behavior change communication among rural masses by spreading awareness about eye health and conducting operational research at school and community level to involve parent''s teachers associations and senior students to motivate students for use of spectacles may improve utilization of existing eye health services in rural areas.     

西藏墨脱县城中小学生的弱视患病率调查

目的：:调查我国西藏自治区林芝市墨脱县城区中小学生的弱视患病率及其影响因素。方法：:横断面调查研究。在2017年5月对墨脱县城区小学初中的全体学生共833名开展视力普查及基本的眼科检查,包括视力及屈光、眼前段、眼底、眼位等检查,对确诊为弱视的学生进行问卷调查并分析发病原因。应用Fisher's精确检验、卡方检验比较不同...     

Refractive errors in students from Middle Eastern backgrounds living and undertaking schooling in Australia

Background: Environmental factors associated with schooling systems in various countries have been implicated in the rising prevalence of myopia, making the comparison of prevalence of refractive errors in migrant populations of interest. This study aims to determine the prevalence of refractive errors in children of Middle Eastern descent, raised and living in urban Australia but actively maintaining strong ties to their ethnic culture, and to compare them with those in the Middle East where myopia prevalence is generally low. Methods: A total of 354 out of a possible 384 late primary/early secondary schoolchildren attending a private school attracting children of Middle Eastern background in Melbourne were assessed for refractive error and visual acuity. A Shin Nippon open‐field NVision‐K5001 autorefractor was used to carry out non‐cycloplegic autorefraction while viewing a distant target. For statistical analyses students were divided into three age groups: 10–11 years (n = 93); 12–13 years (n = 158); and 14–15 years (n = 102). Results: All children were bilingual and classified as of Middle Eastern (96.3 per cent) or Egyptian (3.7 per cent) origin. Ages ranged from 10 to 15 years, with a mean of 13.17 ± 0.8 (SEM) years. Mean spherical equivalent refraction (SER) for the right eye was +0.09 ± 0.07 D (SEM) with a range from ‐7.77 D to +5.85 D. The prevalence of myopia, defined as a spherical equivalent refraction 0.50 D or more of myopia, was 14.7 per cent. The prevalence of hyperopia, defined as a spherical equivalent refraction of +0.75 D or greater, was 16.4 per cent, while hyperopia of +1.50 D or greater was 5.4 per cent. A significant difference in SER was seen as a function of age; however, no significant gender difference was seen. Conclusions: This is the first study to report the prevalence of refractive errors for second‐generation Australian schoolchildren coming from a predominantly Lebanese Middle Eastern Arabic background, who endeavour to maintain their ethnic ties. The relatively low prevalence of myopia is similar to that found for other metropolitan Australian school children but higher than that reported in the Middle East. These results suggest that lifestyle and educational practices may be a significant influence in the progression of myopic refractive errors.     

深圳市小学初中学生视力发育及屈光状态流行病学调查

目的：了解深圳市小学初中学生视力及屈光状态,为近视防控提供科学±据。
　　方法：整群抽取深圳市5所小学学生(6737名)和3所中学初中学生(1925名)进行问卷调查,同时进行视力、眼前节、眼底、眼位和屈光状态检查。运用卡方检验分析视力不良的危险因素,并对不同性别和年级的近视率进行比较。
　　结果：深圳市5~16岁学生视力不良检出率67.0%,其中女性、高度近视家族史,连续看近时间过长和户外活动时间过短为学生视力不良的危险因素。8662例学生中正视眼、远视眼、散光眼和近视的检出率分别为15.1%、11.3%、11.0%、62.6%。随着年级增长,正视、远视、散光的检出率逐渐减小,近视检出率逐渐增多。其中小学6年级到初中一年级的近视增长无统计学意义,其余每相邻两个年级近视增长均有统计学意义(χ2=7.338~45.018, P<0.05);男生近视检出率为61.0%,女生的近视检出率为65.5%,且两者有统计学意义(χ2=17.180,P<0.05)。
　　结论：深圳市5~16岁学生视力不良检出率高,近视是主要原因。近视患病率随着年级逐渐上升,且发展越来越快,呈低龄化发展趋势。做好近视防治工作,对控制中小学生视力不良有重要意义。     

甘肃省城乡中小学生近视及影响因素的流行病学调查

目的：抽样调查甘肃省城乡中小学生的近视状况，探讨其可能的影响因素。方法：调查研究。采用分层整群随机抽样的方法，于2014年12月至2015年9月抽取甘肃省兰州、天水、庆阳、武威、甘南藏族自治州、临夏回族自治州11 480名中小学生进行问卷调查，并对其进行眼科检查，如选用室内灯箱式Ｅ字标准对数视力表检查双眼视力，使用Topcon公司的电脑验光仪进行验光及光学相干生物测量仪（IOLMaster）检查等。采用卡方检验比较近视影响因素间差异，用Logistic回归筛选影响近视的相关因素。结果：调查结果显示，甘肃省城乡中小学生近视总患病率为71.33%，其中男生为70.49%，女生为72.23%，城市为74.46%，农村为66.56%，学生年级越高，近视程度越严重。Logistic 回归分析提示影响近视的主要因素为个人行为习惯、近距离用眼时间、户外活动时间等。结论：甘肃省城乡中小学生的近视患病率高，应及早采取必要措施进行积极预防，培养学生健康的用眼习惯，提高学生保护视力的意识。     

兰州市中学生干眼症患病率及危险因素分析

目的　探讨甘肃省兰州市中学生干眼症的患病率和危险因素。方法　2018年7月对甘肃省兰州市5所中学的学生进行了横断面调查。通过随机整群抽样获得所选36个班级的1503名学生。使用Schaumberg干眼调查问卷进行调查访谈。由两位经验丰富的眼科医师于访谈后进行眼科检查（一位医师进行视敏度检查，另一位医师进行裂隙灯检查）。计算干眼症的患病率，并评估干眼症与性别、近视、配戴隐形眼镜、屈光矫正不足、经常使用滴眼液、睡眠质量和压力状态之间的相关性。采用χ²检验和Logistic回归分析评估与干眼症相关的危险因素。结果　兰州市中学生干眼症的患病率为24.5％（363/1482）。363例干眼症患者最常报告的眼部刺激症状是视疲劳（303例，83.5％），其次是疼痛（166例，45.7％），视力模糊（134例，36.9％），眼部瘙痒（129例，35.5％），以及砂砾感（96例，26.4％）。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示，屈光矫正不足、经常使用滴眼液、睡眠质量差是干眼症的独立危险因素。结论　中学生干眼症患病率高且易被忽视，针对中学生干眼症危险因素的预防措施可能有助于降低干眼症患病率并对学生的眼健康产生积极影响。     

贵州省兴义市农村和城市儿童青少年近视状况及相关因素分析

目的：:调查贵州省兴义市农村和城市儿童青少年近视的患病率,并对其影响因素进行分析。方法：:横断面调查研究。采取分层抽样的方法,于2019年8─11月选取贵州省兴义市的6─19岁学生作为研究对象,共有8 413名学生参与研究,其中7 272名学生被纳入数据分析。对所有的研究对象进行视力、屈光检查,对学生视力不良影响因素进...     

Screening for myopia and refractive errors using LogMAR visual acuity by optometrists and a simplified visual acuity chart by nurses.

PURPOSE: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of a widespread method of screening for refractive errors in Singapore schoolchildren using a simplified acuity screening chart with a more rigorous method using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart. A secondary aim is to estimate the best cutoff values for the detection of refractive errors using these two methods. METHODS: This is a population-based study, involving 1779 schoolchildren from three schools in Singapore. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity was recorded using a modified Bailey-Lovie chart by trained optometrists, and visual acuity measurement was also undertaken using a simplified 7-line visual acuity screening chart by school health nurses. The main outcome measures were the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC's) of logMAR and the simplified screening visual acuity to detect myopia or any refractive errors. The difference between measurements, simplified screening visual acuity--logMAR visual acuity, was calculated. RESULTS: The optimal threshold using the simplified screening visual acuity chart for the detection of myopia or any refractive error was 6/12 or worse. Using logMAR visual acuity, the most efficient threshold for the detection of myopia was 0.26, but this was 0.18 for the detection of any refractive error. The area under the ROC curves was significantly greater in the case of the logMAR visual acuity measurement compared with the simplified screening visual acuity measurement for the detection of myopia or any refractive errors. The 95% limits of agreement for the two methods (simplified screening--logMAR acuity) was -0.219 to +0.339. CONCLUSIONS: Bearing in mind that the visual acuity measurements were performed by two different groups of professionals, visual acuity screening using the ETDRS method appears to be more accurate than the simplified charts for the detection of myopia or any refractive errors in children.     

甘肃省兰州市中小学生近视的患病率及相关因素调查

目的了解兰州市中小学生近视患病状况,为中小学生近视的预防和控制提供科学依据。方法横断面调查研究。采取分层整群随机抽样的方法,随机抽取兰州市城关区、七里河区、安宁区各1所小学、初中及高中,再从每个年级随机抽取1个班作为调查对象,普查其眼科情况,包括普通视力、眼压（IOP）、电脑验光、光学相干生物测量仪（IOLMaster）检查等。不同年级之间各屈光参数进行单因素方差分析,等效球镜度（SE）与各屈光参数关系采用Pearson线性相关分析,不同年级及性别之间近视患病率差异比较采用卡方检验。结果总共抽查兰州市中小学生1 802人（3 604眼）,近视的患病率为71.50%,其中男、女生近视患病率分别为70.61％、72.55％,差异有统计学意义（χ²=10.43,P<0.05）。小学、初中、高中近视患病率依次为51.1%、88.1%、94.5%,小学一年级至高中三年级各年级近视患病率分别为17.7％、36.4％、49.6％、64.8%、64.8%、75.7%、81.6%、90.4%、93.2%、93.4%、94.5%、95.4%,各个年级间近视患病率差异具有统计学意义（χ²=1501,P<0.05）。眼轴长度随着年级增高也呈增长趋势（小学一年级、初中一年级及高中三年级之间相互比较,P＜0.05）,裸眼视力（UCVA）随着年级增高呈下降趋势（小学一年级、初中一年级及高中三年级之间相互比较,P＜0.05）,角膜曲率随着年级增高未见明显变化趋势。SE与身高、体质量呈中度相关（r=-0.479,P<0.05;r=-0.439,P<0.05）,与UCVA、眼轴长度高度相关（r=0.708,P<0.05;r=-0.710,P<0.05）,与角膜曲率无相关性（r=0.002,P＞0.05）。结论兰州市中小学生近视患病率高达71.50%,女生高于男生。近视患病率随年级升高而增高,SE与UCVA、眼轴长度相关。     

Status of eye health among tribal school children in South India

Purpose:Global trends show a high prevalence of refractive errors among children. The prevalence of vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors among school children is increasing and the need for management of other ocular conditions is also reported. This study presents the status of eye health and pattern of daily activities among the school children of a tribal location in Tamil Nadu, South India.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 schools of Karumandurai cluster, Salem district in Tamil Nadu, India. A three-phased comprehensive school screening protocol was conducted to understand the prevalence of vision impairment, refractive error, and other ocular conditions along with a survey about the daily activities of the children at school and home.Results:Among the 3655 children screened, the prevalence of vision impairment was found to be 0.62% (n = 23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.94) and prevalence of refractive error was 0.30% (n = 11, 95%CI 0.17–0.54), among which 0.11% (n = 4) were already wearing spectacles. A total of 44 children (1.20%; 95%CI 0.90–1.61) were found to have other ocular problems and among them, 14 (0.38%) had visual acuity less than 20/30 (6/9). Almost 84% of children required surgical or specialty eye care services. Vision impairment was more in children with other ocular conditions compared to refractive errors (P < 0.001).Conclusion:The prevalence of vision impairment and refractive errors in this tribal area was less. Ocular conditions were more prevalent than refractive errors in this tribal region with the majority of children needing specialty or surgical eye care services. This implies the need for access to secondary or tertiary eye care centers.     

Prevalence of refractive errors among schoolchildren in Shiraz,Iran

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors in Shiraz schoolchildren by age and gender. Methods: For this cross‐sectional study, random cluster sampling was carried out from students of the 2008–2009 academic year. After the initial interview, ophthalmic examinations including tests of visual acuity, non‐cycloplegic and cycloplegic refraction and binocular vision were performed. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent ≤?0.50 dioptre (D), hyperopia as ≥+2.0 D, and astigmatism as a cylinder refraction ≥0.75 D. All values for school grade and gender were directly standardized based on the total student population in the 2008–2009 school year. Results: A total of 2130 students were sampled, of which 1872 participated in the study (response rate = 87.88%). The prevalence of uncorrected, best‐corrected, presenting and spectacle corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or worse in the better eye was 6.46%, 0%, 1.49% and 0.9%, respectively. The prevalence rates of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism were 4.35% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.89–5.82%), 5.04% (95% CI: 3.50–6.58%), and 11.27% (95% CI: 9.81–12.74%), respectively. Anisometropia was detected in 2.58% of schoolchildren. The prevalence of hyperopia significantly decreased with age (P = 0.021). Conclusions: Compared with other reported rates, the prevalence of myopia in the schoolchildren of Shiraz is similar to that in most places excluding East Asian countries, and that of hyperopia is in the mid range.     

Assessment of stereopsis in pediatric and adolescent spectacle-corrected refractive error – A cross-sectional study

Purpose:To assess the level of stereopsis in school children with spectacle-corrected refractive errors using Titmus fly and Randot stereo tests, evaluate the factors associated with the level of stereopsis, and determine the level of agreement between the two tests.Methods:A cross-sectional study was done on 5- to 18-year-old school-children wearing spectacles for at least 1-month duration. Visual acuity was assessed using Snellen’s visual acuity chart, and their spectacle correction being used currently was measured using an auto lensmeter. The level of stereopsis was assessed using Randot and Titmus fly stereo tests. Data were entered using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 20, Chicago, IL. The associations between stereopsis and type of refractive error, visual acuity, age, and gender were analyzed. An agreement between Randot and Titmus fly test was done using Kappa statistics.Results:A total of 222 children (101 boys and 121 girls; mean age 13 years) were assessed. Astigmatism was the most prevalent refractive error (60.4%), followed by myopia (24.8%) and hypermetropia (1.4%). Thirty children (13.5%) had anisometropia. All hyperopes had normal stereopsis. Children with spherical myopia had better stereopsis, followed by astigmatism and anisometropia in the same order (P = 0.036). Children with anisometropia ≤1.5 D had better stereopsis than anisometropia more than 1.5 D. Stereopsis was also found to have no correlation with the age and visual acuity at the time of testing or the age at which the child first started wearing spectacles. Stereopsis values obtained from Randot and Titmus fly stereo tests showed moderate agreement with Kappa value 0.581.Conclusion:Anisometropia and astigmatism are the most critical factors determining the level of stereopsis in refractive errors.