The Prevalence of Visual Impairment and Refractive Errors among a Youth Population in Mozambique: Evidence of the Need for Intervention.

Dulnério B Sengo,Isaura I D B Dos Santos,Guida M R J Lôbo,Momade F Faquihe,Sualé Puchar,Inmaculada López-Izquierdo,Pablo Caballero,Hermenegildo B J F Tomo,Alcino M Muaprato

doi:10.3390/children8100892

Dulnério B Sengo, Isaura I D B Dos Santos + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/children8100892

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Abstract

Visual impairment (VI) can significantly interfere in the child’s daily activities and quality of life, having a negative effect on their development and learning. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of VI and associated demographic factors in students examined during the program “Moçambique te vejo melhor”. This study was cross-sectional and retrospective, based on the 2018/19 edition of the program. Eye examinations were performed in secondary school students, aged between 12 and 20 years, of five districts in Nampula province. The examination included visual acuity, non-cycloplegic refraction and assessment of the anterior and posterior segment and ocular adnexa. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting and best-corrected VI found was 18.3%, 10.8%, and 5.0%, respectively. Refractive error (RE) had a prevalence of 24.7%, and the age groups between 15–17 years and 18–20 years were significantly associated with myopia (with OR: 4.9 and OR: 8.8, respectively), as well as the 11th and 12th grade (OR: 8.1 and OR: 10.7, respectively), and Malema district had association with myopia (ORa: 0.4) and hyperopia (ORa: 0.4 and OR: 0.3) as a protective factor. The prevalence of RE and VI was relatively high, showing the need for greater intervention at the school level.

Highlights

The visual impairment (VI) results when an eye condition affects the visual system and one or more of its vision functions, such a visual acuity, can interfere significantly with daily activities and the individual’s quality of life
Most participants were from Meconta (39.5%) and Mogovolas (25.7%) districts (Table 1)
In Ghana [22], the prevalence of Uncorrected Visual impairment (VI) was much lower (3.7%) than in other studies, which may be associated with the low proportion (3.2%) of myopia found in this study

Summary

Introduction

The visual impairment (VI) results when an eye condition affects the visual system and one or more of its vision functions, such a visual acuity, can interfere significantly with daily activities and the individual’s quality of life. VI can have a negative effect on development and learning for children, especially when it occurs during the first years of life. Refractive errors (REs), eye disorders that occurs when the eye cannot clearly focus the images from the outside world, resulting from a mismatch between the axial length of the eye and its optical power [4,5], have been the main cause of VI in children, and they are the most prevalent visual disorder among children, affecting more than 20% [6]. REs have been associated with genetic and environmental factors, such as the influence of the gene loci (AREG, GABRR1, and PDE10A), near work distances and time spent in outdoor activities [7,8]

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