Prevalence of Refractive Errors Using the Lea Symbols Test in Preschool Children in South Tangerang

To determine the prevalence and types of refractive errors in persons aged 35 years and older in the Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu (INK) area of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Refractive error data were obtained by autorefraction (Retinomax K-Plus; Nikon, Tokyo, Japan), retinoscopy, and subjective refraction. Refractive error was defined using spherical equivalents as myopia (<-0.5D) and hyperopia (>+0.5D). Astigmatism was defined as cylinder equal to or greater than -0.5D in either eye. Participants' ages ranged from 35 to 90 years, with a mean of 53.05 ± 11.4 years. Women comprised 75% of the subjects. The prevalence of refractive error was 57.3%, with myopia 11.4%, hyperopia 37.7%, and astigmatism 25.7%. Myopia and astigmatism were significantly more prevalent in men (p < 0.01), whereas hyperopia was more prevalent in women (p < 0.01). Hyperopia was significantly associated with education (p < 0.01), whereas myopia and astigmatism were not (p = 0.09 and p = 0.15, respectively). Approximately 57.3% of the population 35 years and older in the INK area of Durban were affected by refractive errors, with myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism being significantly associated with sex. This study suggests that there is a need for interventions to alleviate refractive error in the INK area as well as in other communities affected by the lack of access to affordable services.

Background: Uncorrected refractive error is the commonest cause of preventable visual impairment and disability among children. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of refractive error among children in the Koshi Rural Municipality of Sunsari district. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted from 1 November to 31 December 2020 involved children between the ages of 4 - 18 years from Koshi Rural Municipality. The variables recorded included gender, age, religion, school type, visual acuity, and types of refractive error. Ethical approval was taken from the rural municipality and institutional review committee of Biratnagar Eye Hospital. Results: A total of 7830 children were screened in the door-to-door campaign. The majority (n = 5508, 72%) were Hindu and 2232 (28%) were Muslims. Only 6575 (84%) children were enrolled in school. Among them 3130 (40%) were going to government schools, 2105(26.9%) were going to private schools and 1340 (17.1%) children were going to a Madrassa (Muslim school) for education. The prevalence of refractive errors among children of Koshi Rural Municipality was 131 (1.7%) (95% CI: 1.4 - 2.0). Hypermetropia was seen in 69 (53%) children, followed by Myopia 60 (46%). Conclusion: The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error among children of Koshi Rural Municipality was low. However, the prevalence of refractive error was high among Muslim children.

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 &lt; 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.

Background: Global estimates suggest there are almost 19 million visually impaired children worldwide, the major cause being uncorrected refractive error (RE).Aim: To assess the prevalence of visual impairment (VI) and RE among Sudanese school-aged children.Setting: Eight randomly selected primary schools from 21 districts in South Darfur State of Sudan were involved.Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study of RE and VI in primary schoolchildren from grades 1 to 8 (children aged 6–15 years) was investigated. A Refractive Error Study in Children (RESC) protocol was implemented to determine the prevalence of RE and VI in these schoolaged children. Participants were enrolled through stratified multistage cluster sampling of four all-male and four all-female primary schools from South Darfur State of Sudan. Examination procedures followed the RESC protocol, which included visual acuity (VA) measurements, binocular vision assessments, retinoscopy and autorefraction under cycloplegia, as well as examination of the external eye, anterior-segment, media and fundus.Results: A total of 1775 children were invited to participate in the study and 1678 were examined resulting in a participation rate of 94.5%. The findings indicated that the prevalence of uncorrected, presenting and best-corrected VA of 6/12 or worse was 6.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9–7.9), 4.4% (95% CI, 2.9–5.9) and 1.2% (95% CI, 0.3–2.7) respectively. RE was the cause of VI in 57% of participants, retinal disorders in 13.1%, amblyopia in 5.6%, corneal opacity in 0.9%, cataract in 3.7%, with the causes of reduced vision undetermined in 10.3% and various other causes contributed 9.3%. External and anterior-segment abnormalities were observed in 10.2% of children. This was mainly allergic conjunctivitis (5.3%) followed by bacterial and viral conjunctivitis (4.2%). The prevalence of myopia (≥|-0.50 D|) in one or both eyes was 6.8% (95% CI, 5.3–8.3), hypermetropia (≥ 2 D) was noted in 1.9% (95% CI, 0.4–3.4) and astigmatism (≥|-0.75 D|) prevailed in 2.5% (95% CI, 1.0–4.0). Prevalence of VI among schoolaged children were associated with the children’s age and grade levels (p = 0.00) but was not correlated with gender (p = 0.224). Prevalence of RE among school-aged children was significantly correlated with age and grade levels (p = 0.00). No significant correlation was found between gender and prevalence of RE (p = 0.833). The prevalence of VI because of myopia was associated with increasing grade levels and also the childhood age (p = 0.023), but there was no significant difference in the prevalence of VI because of myopia between male and female children.Conclusion: Uncorrected RE was a major cause of VI among children in the South Darfur State. There is thus a critical need for developing a comprehensive child eye care plan focusing on the reduction of uncorrected RE through collaboration between key stakeholders and government.

BackgroundTo investigate the prevalence and time trends of refractive error (RE) among Chinese children under 18 years old.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science were searched for articles that estimated prevalence of RE in Chinese children. Data of identified eligible studies was extracted by two investigators independently. Pooled prevalence of RE and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and the time trends of RE were investigated using Meta-analysis methods.ResultsOf the 41 studies covering 1 051 784 subjects, the pooled prevalence of myopia, high myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism in Chinese children was 38.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 35.1%-41.1%), 2.8% (95% CI = 2.3%-3.4%), 5.2% (95% CI = 3.1%-8.6%) and 16.5% (95% CI = 12.3%-21.8%), respectively. Subgroup analysis show that children living in urban were at higher risk of RE. Prevalence of myopia and hyperopia were higher in Northern China compared with Southern China and high myopia and astigmatism were higher in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan than in mainland China. Regression analysis showed an upward trend in myopia and hyperopia and a downward trend in high myopia and astigmatism with years.ConclusionsThe prevalence of RE is higher in urban areas than in rural for Chinese children. The much higher prevalence of myopia and astigmatism in China compared with foreign countries indicates the important role played by environment and genetic factors. Considering the large magnitude of refractive errors, much more attention should still be paid to RE prevention and treatment strategy development in China.

Purpose Refractive errors (REs) are a significant cause of vision impairment and the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism are the most prevalent forms. In developing regions, including India, the prevalence and impact of REs, particularly among school-aged children, is profound, affecting their academic performance and overall quality of life. Methods This review aimed to consolidate data from studies published post-2018 to provide updated prevalence estimates of REs among Indian school children. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in May 2024 across four databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Inclusion criteria focused on cross-sectional studies from India, reporting the prevalence of REs among school-aged children. Results Out of 1434 studies, 43 met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled prevalence of REs was 11% (95% CI: 0.08–0.15). The subgroup analysis showed a slight decline in prevalence post-COVID-19, from 12% to 11%. Prevalence was higher in cycloplegic studies at 12%, compared to 10% in non-cycloplegic. Myopia was the most prevalent RE at 8%, with astigmatism at 3% and hyperopia at 1%. No significant gender differences were found. The meta-regression does not indicate a statistically significant relation between the year of publication and the prevalence of RE. Conclusion REs, particularly myopia, pose a significant burden among Indian schoolchildren. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall prevalence of REs has remained stable. These findings emphasize the need for continued vision screening programs and targeted interventions to reduce the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors.

Clinical relevance Country-specific estimates of the prevalence of refractive errors are important to formulate national eye health policies for refractive care services. Background The purpose of this study was to systematically synthesise available literature and estimate the prevalence of refractive errors in the Nepalese population. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for articles on refractive errors and presbyopia published in English language until 27 September 2022. Population and school-based quantitative, cross-sectional prevalence studies and Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness survey repository data were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. Data extraction was performed with consensus among the reviewers. Meta-analysis of the prevalence was performed using the Random effects model to estimate the pooled proportions. Results A total of 38 studies with 101 701 participants were included: 18 studies in children (n = 31 596) and 20 in adults (n = 70 105). In children, the estimated pooled prevalence of overall refractive errors was 8.4% (95% CI: 4.8 to 12.9) with myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism prevalent in 7.1% (95% CI: 3.7 to 11.4), 1.0% (95% CI: 0.7 to 1.3) and 2.2% (95% CI: 0.9 to 3.9), respectively. In adults, the prevalence of refractive errors, uncorrected refractive errors, and uncorrected presbyopia were 11.2% (95% CI: 8.0 to 14.9), 7.3% (95% CI: 5.4 to 9.5) and 78.9% (95% CI: 69.1 to 87.3), respectively. Conclusions The pooled prevalence of refractive errors is relatively low while uncorrected refractive errors and presbyopia are high in Nepalese population suggesting a need for better access to refractive care services in the country. The paucity of quality evidence on prevalence of refractive errors, particularly in children, indicates a need for a well-designed population-based study to accurately estimate the current prevalence of refractive errors.

Aims: This study analyzes the prevalence and types of refractive errors among truck drivers, as well as their uptake of glasses. Subjects and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of data collected between July 2017 and June 2018, through eye camps held across the national capital region. An optometrist conducted a comprehensive eye examination. Refractive error was defined as myopia (spherical equivalent of at least −0.5 diopter [D]), hyperopia (spherical equivalent of at least +0.5 D), or astigmatism (only cylinder of 0.5 D or more). Drivers requiring spectacles to read at a normal distance (35–40 cm) were categorized as having presbyopia. Those needing both distance and near vision correction were analyzed separately. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed for the prevalence of refractive errors and its types. Spectacles uptake and its association with age categories, number of affected eyes, type and severity of refractive errors were analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out using R software version 3.1.1 and Excel 2013. Results: Refractive error (including presbyopia) was over 26% in the 4059 truck drivers screened. 8.8% needed distance correction, 24.3% needed near correction and 6.6% needed both, at least in one eye. Uptake was only 47% among those prescribed glasses and was higher among drivers requiring only near correction. Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of eye examination among truckers. There is a need to increase the uptake of spectacles by increasing awareness and developing better models of spectacle delivery.

Background: Uncorrected refractive error is an avoidable aetiology of visual impairment, negatively affecting children’s quality of life. There is limited evidence related to the prevalence of refractive errors among the children or adolescent population within Sudan.Aim: To determine the prevalence and types of refractive error among children enrolled in traditional Quranic boarding schools in the Al-Gezira state, Sudan.Setting: This cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted within the student population of traditional Quranic boarding schools in Al-Gezira, Sudan.Methods: A total of 551 male children from eight schools underwent subjective and objective refraction, including direct ophthalmoscopy as well as binocular vision assessment.Results: Out of the total 551 school children, the refractive error prevalence was 6.2% (n = 34). The prevalence of myopia among the participants was 5.1% (n = 28), followed by hypermetropia 1.1% (n = 6). Astigmatism was diagnosed in 3.3% (n = 18) of the study population classified as myopic astigmatism of 2.4% (n = 13) and hyperopic astigmatism 0.9% (n = 5).Conclusion: This study found the prevalence of refractive errors among the children as 6.2%. It provides baseline data about refractive error among the children in this sample, which is useful as a reference point, however further studies need to be conducted in all the Quranic schools of Sudan.Contribution: This study offers a principal information about the ametropia among the children in this community and highlights the need for further refractive errors related epidemiological studies within the region.

Background & Objectives:Refractive Errors (RE) are responsible for major portion of the treatable visual impairment and avoidable blindness in the world. The prevalence of RE varies with age, gender, ethnicity, geographical locations and also from time to time due to progresse in eye care services. We aimed to study the prevalence of RE and assess their patterns among Saudi adults of Arar city, the capital of Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia.Methods:This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. A total number of 966 Saudi adults aged 16 to 39 years were enrolled. The patterns of their RE were studied through auto-refraction evaluation.Results:The prevalence of RE was 45.8%. The most frequent type of RE was myopia in 24.4%, followed by hyperopia 11.9% and astigmatism in 9.5% cases. Ages and genders significantly affect the prevalence of the different patterns of RE (0.033 and 0.012, respectively).Conclusion:The prevalence of RE in Arar city is slightly lower than that previously published in the same targeted age group. Myopia is the main RE. More awareness programs, especially among young adults are recommended for better outcomes.

Studying the epidemiology of refractive errors (REs) among school students is important for developing national strategies that can prevent visual impairment. The purpose of this study was to detect the prevalence and risk factors of RE among preparatory school students in Beni-Suef, Egypt. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 469 school students aged 12~14 years received visual acuity (VA) assessments using Snellen’s chart, and students who failed the test (visual acuity worse than 6/9 in either eye) were subjected to refractive evaluation using an autorefractor. The overall prevalence of RE among the sampled students was 22.8% (71% myope and 29% hyperope). There was a statistically significant association between RE and family factors. Students whose parents both wore glasses were more likely to have RE (P < 0.001, OR = 3.24) and students with two or more siblings wearing glasses showed higher rates of RE (P < 0.001, OR = 4.5). Students with RE reported more hours/day watching TV (P < 0.001, OR = 3.59). The prevalence of RE in preparatory school students in Beni-Suef was detected. Family history and indoor activities are determining risk factors for RE. Nearly half of our school students with RE were newly detected in this study.

Some 12.8 million in the age group 5–15 years are visually impaired from uncorrected or inadequately corrected refractive errors. In Saudi Arabia, the size of this public health problem is not well defined especially among primary schoolchildren. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among primary school children in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. A total of 2246 Saudi primary school children aged 6 to 14 years of both genders were selected using multistage sampling method form 30 primary schools located in the three different areas of Al Hassa. School children were interviewed to collect demographics and vision data using a special data collection form followed by screening for refractive errors by trained optometrists within the school premises using a standardized protocol. Assessment of visual acuity and ocular motility evaluation were carried out and cover-uncover test was performed. Children detected with defective vision were referred for further examination employing subjective refraction with auto refractometer and objective refraction using streak retinoscopy after 1% cyclopentolate. Of the screened school children (N=2002), the overall prevalence of refractive errors was 13.7% (n=274), higher among females (Odds ratio, OR=1.39, P=0.012) and significantly more among students of rural residence (OR=2.40, P=0.001). The prevalence of refractive errors was disproportionately more among those aged 12-14 years (OR=9.02, P=0.001). Only 9.4% of students with poor vision were wore spectacles for correction. Myopia was the most commonly encountered refractive error among both genders (65.7% of the total errors encountered). Uncorrected refractive errors affected a sizable portion of primary school children in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Primary schoolchildren especially females, rural and older children represents high risk group for refractive errors for which the included children were unaware.

Refractive Error in Preschool Children

Background:Refractive errors are preventable and is an easily treatable visual impairment that is especially common among children and adolescents and if uncorrected can lead to severe consequences. Our aim is to describe the prevalence and knowledge of refractive errors and determine the factors associated with refractive errors among grade 9 students in selected schools in Colombo district.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 120 grade 9 students sampled using a cluster sampling method from two selected schools in the Colombo district. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Visual acuity was measured using Snellen’s E chart at 6 meters. For those whose vision was less than or equal to 6/12, pinhole examination was performed to confirm refractive error as the cause for visual impairment. Students with spectacles were tested with and without spectacles. Data was analyzed using SPSS software.Results: Out of the students, 53.3% were females with a median age of 13. The prevalence of refractive errors was 28.3% (CI at 95%; 20.5-37.2) while the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors was 18.3% (CI at 95%; 11.9-26.4). Overall, 94.2% were found to have a poor knowledge regarding refractive errors. Having both parents and a sibling wearing spectacles, being a resident of Colombo district and sleeping for more than 6 hours a day were found to be significantly associated with the presence of a refractive error (p&lt;0.05)Conclusion: Prevalence of refractive errors in this study population was high. Factors associated with refractive errors could be utilized in planning preventive programme.

Refractive errors are regarded as a public health challenge contributing to 123.7 million cases of moderate to severe distance vision impairment or blindness. Prevalence, pattern and degree of refractive errors affected by racial and ethnic variations. Nubians are an ethnic group indigenous to the region which is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The present study aims to detect the prevalence and patterns of different refractive errors among Nubian and non- Nubian adults in South Egypt. A community-based cross-sectional study that was carried out in randomly selected Nubian and non-Nubian districts. The study included 1820 adult individuals. They were divided into two groups (910 persons each) representing Nubian and non-Nubians adults in south Egypt. Following standard ophthalmic examination, autorefraction under cycloplegic was done. Data was collected and tabulated. Overall prevalence of refractive errors was 63.4% among South Egyptians. Refractive Errors were found in 66.5% of Nubians and in 60.2% of non- Nubians. Astigmatism existed in 56.3% of patients with no significant difference between both groups. Nubians were significantly more hyperopic and less myopic than non-Nubians (p < 0.001). Nubians exhibit a higher prevalence of overall refractive errors compared to the non- Nubians, with a marked tendency towards hyperopia.