Organization Classification Research Articles

Talent incentive policy, innovation performance, organizational innovation climate, and organizational identification: Empirical evidence from high-tech enterprises

This article delved into the intricate dynamics of talent incentive strategies, with a special focus on those implemented in free trade ports, and their profound impact on the innovation performance of employees. The research adopted a dual-focused approach, scrutinizing both the mediating role of the climate of organizational innovation and the moderating influence of organizational identification. The study integrated the organizational innovation climate category by merging classical scales, focusing on individual performance in employee innovation, and the organizational identification category (Acosta-Prado et al., 2021; Han et al., 2007; Mael & Ashforth, 1992). The research encompassed 58 high-tech firms in the Hainan Free Trade Port (HFTP), disseminated 1817 questionnaires, retrieved 1666, and validated 1262, achieving a 74.8 percent validity rate. The employed methodology was hierarchical regression analysis, a potent statistical tool enabling a nuanced comprehension of the variable relationships. The analysis findings revealed that employees’ perceptions of talent incentive policies could positively impact their innovation performance, highlighting the significance of these perceptions in determining policy effectiveness. The study uncovered that talent incentive policies influenced innovation performance, mediated by the organizational climate and amplified by employee identification with the organization. These insights can inform strategies to optimize talent incentives, cultivate an innovative culture, and boost overall performance.

Determinants of First‐Line Nurse Managers’ Span of Control: A Delphi Study

Aims: The main goal of this research is to identify, through expert consensus, the key factors that determine the span of control (SOC) of first‐line nurse managers (FLNMs) in the Spanish healthcare system.Background: The SOC is a management concept which has usually been defined as the number of subordinates reporting to a superior. In nursing, however, it is much more complex. This complexity is shaped by various factors related to patients, healthcare professionals and organisational structures. Nursing leaders must thoroughly consider these factors and their determinants, which necessitate a comprehensive assessment. Given the significant impact an inadequate SOC can have on patients, professionals and the organisation, it would be beneficial to address this issue. In nursing, studies on this subject are practically nonexistent and focus solely on the number of subordinates, highlighting the need for research in this area.Methods: Between September and December 2022, a Delphi study was conducted. Forty‐five experts were invited to participate. The study involved nurse administrators, FLNMs, university professors, renowned researchers and other non–health professionals related to health management. The participants completed an online survey over three phases. Factor analysis was performed on the items for which consensus was reached. The jamovi software version 2.3.15 was used for data analysis.Results: A total of 35 experts participated in at least one of the three phases of the Delphi study. Following a comprehensive analysis of the identified factors, a consensus was reached on 31 of them. These were subsequently grouped into four categories: unit category (16 items, including complexity, resource management, conflicts and protocolisation and monitoring of activities), professional category (five items: number of staff, staffing stability and skill level and diversity of staff), FLNM category (four items: autonomy, experience and education and leadership style) and organisation category (six items: digitisation and information systems, education, research and implementation evidence‐based practice and performing guards).Conclusions: Our research shows a high degree of consensus amongst participants in identifying the determinants and degree of relevance of SOC‐related aspects. Although SOC is not currently assessed, all stakeholders agree that there are a large number of variables that should be considered when appointing a FLNM.Implications for Nurse Managers: Nursing managers can better assess the health of the organisation and improve performance by understanding the factors that influence the SOC of FLNMs. Due to the lack of previous studies, understanding these factors will allow the development of methods and tools tailored to the characteristics of different health systems.

Presentation of an Antifragility Model in Iranian Financial Organizations through Thematic Analysis

The present study aims to propose a qualitative antifragility model for Iranian financial organizations. The research methodology, in terms of data collection and execution, is qualitative. To design the model, thematic analysis was employed. Subsequently, the validity of the model's dimensions was determined using content validity indices (CVI, CVR, and S-CVI). The statistical population of the study consists of managers of financial organizations and university professors in Iran. The theoretical saturation was reached after conducting interviews with 10 experts in the field related to the research topic. The research findings led to the identification of 79 codes and 19 themes, categorized into four main groups: (1) Random and Environmental Category, which includes components such as flexibility, financial crisis, resilient performance, agility, and adaptability; (2) Financial Performance Category, including components like cost control, financial performance of institutions, central bank independence, inflation volatility, and cash flow management; (3) Managerial Category, comprising components such as risk management, economic growth improvement, capital management, financial policies, and government relations; and (4) Organizational Category, including components such as innovation and creativity, adaptability, resistance and confrontation, integration, and service empowerment. Additionally, the model's validity results indicate that it possesses a high level of content validity.

Labour resources for farms

The article is devoted to the study of the problem of social conditions of reproduction of labour resources for farms in modern Russia. Based on the analysis of modern publications of the science-intensive Scopus database, the international experience of the development of farming and labour resources of this category of production organizations is considered. Significant substantive trends in the theoretical part of the study were reflected in the methodology and methods of empirical research conducted by the survey method in the South of Russia (Stavropol Krai). In total, 417 people permanently residing in rural areas of Stavropol Krai took part in the survey. Factor analysis of the survey data made it possible to develop a structural model for choosing living conditions in rural areas as a basic basis for the possible inclusion of the able-bodied population in farming activities. The structural elements of the model are: social guarantees at the federal and regional levels and their implementation at a high quality level, the authorities' concern for the well-being of citizens; favourable socio-ecosystem characteristics of in rural areas associated with high-quality nutrition, the possibility of creativity, preservation of folk traditions, manifestations of social initiative; the possibility of a healthy lifestyle of a modern young family with children in an ecologically clean social communications perceived as a safe habitat; inclusion of rural areas in regional socio–cultural and innovative processes; indigenous living – love for a small homeland. The obtained factor model will help in the development of programs for the effective involvement of new participants in the social group of farming and the development of effective state and regional policies in the field of reproduction of labour resources in rural areas of Russia.

Risks, solutions and implementation of a participatory ergonomic intervention in 16 day nurseries: A process evaluation of the TOY wait-list cluster-randomized controlled trial

More evidence-based initiatives to reduce physical work demands during childcare work to prevent ill health and promote the ability to care for the children among childcare workers are needed. In a process evaluation performed alongside a two-arm, cluster-randomized study with a waiting-list control among 16 day nurseries lasting 20-weeks that significantly reduced musculoskeletal pain-related sickness absence we investigated 1) risk factors and solutions perceived by the childcare workers, and 2) implementation of the intervention. Most of the perceived risk factors were categorized as physical (70 %) with most of the suggested solutions also being categorized as physical (61 %). The remaining risk factors were categorized as organizational risk factors (16 %) and psychosocial risk factors (13 %). The remaining solutions were distributed almost equally between the organizational (20 %) and psychosocial categories (19 %). About half (51 %) of the action plans showed high implementation success. Of 16 workshops, 100 % were delivered with a fidelity of 83 %. Average participation, exposure, responsiveness and implementation were 68 %, 56 %, 83 % and 47 %. The implementation score differed for timing of intervention but not for nursery characteristics. This study showed that complex and diverse participatory ergonomic interventions should focus on physical, organizational and psychosocial factors to have a positive effect.

Contextual Frames of Reference in the Translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm to Kiswahili

This paper seeks to establish the cognitive contextual frames of references (CFRs) in the translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm from English to Kiswahili. The source text “Animal Farm” and the target text "Shamba la Wanyama" were used to gather the study's data. The paper offers insights on how CFRs can be employed in literary translation to domesticate the target text so that it is relevant to the target language audience. Specific word and phrase meanings were deduced from sentences of both the source text and the target text. The analyzed data revealed that the translator used organizational category shifts, textual category shifts, communicational category shifts, and socio-cultural category shifts. The most common CFRs in the Kiswahili translation of Animal Farm were found to be communicational category shifts. The target text is made relevant to the audience through such manipulations.

HEARING LOSS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH AGING TRENDS STUDY

Abstract Hearing loss is an important condition that affects healthy aging. However, nationally representative estimates of hearing loss among older adults are limited due to differences in measures and categorization of hearing as well as limited sampling of older adults. The aims of this presentation are to review the meaning of different hearing measures and categorization and to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss by age and demographic covariates of adults over 70 years. The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a large nationally representative panel study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with robust oversampling of the oldest old adults that added pure-tone audiometry, the current gold standard for quantifying hearing loss to the 2021 NHATS round 11 protocol. Cross-sectional (n=2620) weighted prevalence estimates by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and income were applied to corresponding United States Census Bureau estimates. Using traditional definitions of hearing loss, an estimated 67.9% (22.4 million) of adults over 70 years have at least some degree of hearing loss (37.4% mild, 25.8% moderate, and 4.6% severe). Prevalence is higher among White, male, lower-income, and lower education attainment subpopulations and increases with age such that 97.6% of adults 90 years and older have hearing loss. Application of new World Health Organization categories of hearing loss resulted in an increase in prevalence from 67.9% to 82.7% of adults over 70 years. The near ubiquitous nature of hearing loss in this population raises questions about identifying actionable cut points in future research.

Factors affecting efficient discharge of judicial functions: Insights from Indian courts

The mandate of any judicial system is to pronounce quality judgements in a timely, impartial and transparent manner. The Indian judiciary is currently facing a mammoth backlog of cases leading to delayed delivery of justice. The present work develops a framework identify and prioritize factors that influence judicial performance and applies it to the case of Indian courts. The study determines twenty factors that affect an efficient delivery of judicial functions. We classify these factors into five broad categories, namely, organizational, judge-related, case-related, procedural and exogenous. We rank the categories and factors within each category using fuzzy best-worst method. Findings indicate that organizational and procedural categories are most significant, thereby, having maximum potential to improve judicial efficiency. Complexity associated with judicial procedures is the highest ranked factor, followed by lack of information technology initiatives, high complexity of cases, low judicial staff and procedural ambiguities. We recommend policy interventions based on key insights derived from the results. Focused changes in acts and codes for simplification of judicial processes are essential to enhance judicial efficiency. Judges and staff can play a more active role by adopting practices to improve case procedures. Various challenges associated with technological reforms need to be addressed for their successful implementation. Separate procedures can be outlined for complex cases and judges can prioritize these cases to reduce unnecessary delay. Courts can also recruit judicial staff in line with the requirements followed by their optimal allocations.

What hinders me returning to work? Sick listed employees own stories

Abstract Background Long-term sick leave can have extensive consequences ranging from the micro- to the macro-level and poses a challenge globally. Low educational level is negatively associated with return to work (RTW) across disorders. Still, there is limited research into which barriers for RTW this group experience. The aim of this study was to identify self-perceived barriers for RTW among employees on long-term sick leave with low educational level. Methods We used material from the NOW WHAT RTW Barrier study, a large-scale interview study with long-term sick listed employees from Norway. Employees on long-term sick leave with low educational level (defined here as primary and secondary school level) were included in the current study (N = 122). Using the World Health Organization's classification system of function, disability, and health (ICF), the data was investigated with a qualitative and quantitative content analytical approach. Results We identified N = 1,942 meaning units describing barriers for RTW. The frequency of coded barriers was highest for the ICF domain Body Function n = 552(28%, min 0, max 15, mean=4,5), followed by Environmental factors n = 411(21%, min 0, max 17, mean=3,4), Activity limitations n = 352(18%, min 0, max 14, mean=2,9), Personal factors n = 323(17%, min 0, max 16, mean=2,6), and lowest for Participation restrictions n = 151(8%, min 0, max 5, mean=1,2) and Body structure n = 146(8%, min 0, max 9, mean=1,2). The most prevalent ICF sub-domains were Mental functions n = 229(42% of the Body Functions barriers, min 0, max 11, mean=1,9) and Services, systems, and policies n = 257(63% of the Environmental barriers, min 0, max 16, mean=2.1). Conclusions Employees on long-term sick leave with low educational level describe a wide range of barriers to RTW. In addition to functional barriers, identifying environmental barriers are important to increase insight and understanding of potential determinants of absence from work for this group. Key messages • Identifying RTW barriers related to functional and environmental factors can increase insight and understanding of absence from work for employees on long-term sick leave with low educational level. • Insight into self-perceived RTW barriers for long-term sick listed with low educational level can contribute to more effective and sustainable RTW processes and further development of RTW services.

An Investigation Of Factors Influencing The Implementation Of Cloud Computing By SMEs

Cloud Computing has emerged as a groundbreaking technology with widespread impact, bringing ad- vantages such low initial costs, cost-effectiveness for intermittent use, ease of management, scalability, device and location independence, and rapid innovation to businesses of various scales. Despite the benefits of implementing Cloud Computing, SMEs are yet to fully embrace it. To increase cloud implementation rate there is the need to investigate the key factors that influence its implementation by SMEs. The study employed the TOE framework to identify factors that have great influence in cloud implementation through a literature review and a survey of selected SMEs. A closed ended questionnaire was developed to ascertain these factors within the context of Bolgatanga by engaging key stakeholders, including ICT managers, CEOs/General Managers, and Admin/Accounts personnel, of selected SMEs to provide insights into the study. The study reveals that relative advantage holds the most significant influence among various factors, such as compatibility, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support, across technological, organizational, and environmental categories in the cloud implementation process. This underscores the importance for SMEs to prioritize effective communication especially the benefits of cloud technology to stakeholders. This would pose a great deal for SMEs to implement cloud thereby enhancing business operations.

Federal Enforcement of Pharmaceutical Fraud under the False Claims Act, 2006–2022

Context: The False Claims Act is the US federal government's primary tool for identifying and penalizing pharmaceutical fraud. The Department of Justice uses the False Claims Act to bring civil cases against drug manufacturers that allegedly obtain improper payment from federal programs. Methods: The authors searched the Department of Justice website for press releases published between 2006 and 2022 that announced fraud actions brought against drug companies. They then used the World Health Organization's Anatomical Therapeutic Classification index to identify the classes of prescription drugs implicated in fraud actions. Findings: During fiscal years 2006–2022, payments by six manufacturers amounted to more than 28% of total payments made as a result of federal False Claims Act actions. Nervous system and cardiovascular drugs were the classes of medications most commonly implicated in alleged fraud. Federal officials most frequently alleged that companies improperly promoted nervous system drugs and paid kickbacks to increase revenues from cardiovascular, antineoplastic and immunomodulating, and alimentary tract and metabolism drugs. Conclusions: Despite frequent pharmaceutical fraud settlements and penalties, incidence of alleged fraud among drug companies remains high. Alternative methods for preventing and deterring fraud could help safeguard our health systems and promote public health, and policy makers should ensure that effective fraud enforcement complements preventive public health regulation.

Influence of blockchain technology on improving the electronic governance in Ukraine

The article examines the features of the influence of technical and technological tools on improving the quality of electronic governance in the field of public management and administration, in particular blockchain technology. These technologies have certain positive applied results, implemented on the basis of theoretical and methodological research by domestic and foreign scientists. In the future, they will become one of the basic technological resources using the e-government mechanism in Ukraine for the development of the entire sphere of public management and administration.
 To make appropriate decisions on the implementation of blockchain technology as part of the implementation of projects based on e-governance in Ukraine, it is advisable to analyze at the proper scientific level the principles of functioning of blockchain technology in the field of public administration, to identify the corresponding advantages and disadvantages of their use in the context of global challenges and threats, and also in the context of Ukraine’s integration processes in the EU; carry out assessment and forecasting of risks associated with their future use in the field of activity indicated by the author.
 The article discusses the features of building blockchain technology (hereinafter referred to as blockchain) in e-governance, the essence of which is the accounting and exchange of ownership rights to digital assets (structured data) in the form of a distributed registry of a peer-to-peer network (Distributed Ledger).
 An analysis of the term «blockchain» in scientific domestic and foreign literature is presented. The technological advantages of using blockchain technology in e-government are identified to ensure interoperability of the activities of public administration bodies. The essence of blockchain models is revealed by subjects of administration and by the method of access to data, operations and transactions; their classification of organizations according to four typical patterns: inclusive exclusive, public, closed.

Linking ESG and Tax Compliance: Stakeholders' Perspectives

This is an exploratory study to gain insight among tax and ESG practitioners on the linkage between ESG and tax compliance. Prior studies used secondary data to examine the association between ESG and tax avoidance and reported inconclusive results. This leads to speculative discussion to support the results, among which are corporate ethics and corporate hypocrisy. This motivates the study to examine the perception among parties involved to understand their views on the relationship. A total of 22 personnel representing firms, consultants, and regulator from various categories of organisations were interviewed. We found a gap between firms and tax regulators and consultant perception of the link between ESG and tax compliance. There is also an inconsistent perception among sustainability and tax personnel in firms. Interestingly, we found only the government-linked companies perceived tax compliance to be part of social components. Our study implies that there is evidence to support negative and no relationship between tax avoidance and ESG but no evidence to support corporate hypocrisy. Keywords: ESG, tax, hypocrisy.

Storytelling in prevention: the case-study of accidents at work. How the narrative method can enhance the prevention of occupational injuries.

This article aims to analyze the elements of the narrative which, applied to investigations of accidents at work, transform them into stories, making the dynamics of accidents clearer, more complete and emotionally engaging and also capable of being transferred to a non-experts audience. The theoretical reference identified for the analysis of the accident histories is the work of the Lithuanian semiologist Algirdas Julien Greimas. The title, the dimensions of space and time, the characters (according to the actantial model), the point of view, the structure of the story (following the canonical narrative scheme), and the moral of the tale are the elements of the narration analyzed in this article. This article illustrates how the dynamics of accidents can lend themselves to being told according to the typical categories of narration and textual organization, resulting in them being enriched with important elements for the communication of prevention and the learning of safe behaviour. The accident investigation that becomes history takes on important characteristics also in terms of communication: the contents become clearer, more accessible and more engaging. Unlike traditional surveys, injury stories, through the elements of the narrative and in particular with the addition of indications for prevention, become an efficient learning and sharing tool valid in training contexts, and the contents effectively usable in practice of prevention workers. The narration applied to accidents at work, allowing for greater attention to the elements of the context, relationships and the emotional sphere of the various actors involved, is able to bring out more clearly the important and various factors that can contribute to causing an accident, becoming thus an effective tool for the transfer of indications for prevention.

Social representations of gender and their influence in Supported Employment: employment specialists’ experiences in Sweden

Purpose Gender differences have been found in the outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) and in Supported Employment (SE), therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore employment specialists’ (ES) social representations of gender in relation to work and VR and how these social representations influence the ES’s work in the VR process according to SE. Methods The qualitative method of focus group discussions was employed. Ten focus groups were held with 39 ESs from four categories of SE organizations in Sweden. Topic analysis was applied to the transcribed material from the focus groups. Results Five themes with different social representations about gender and disability in relation to VR and working life formed in the analysis: (1) differences in personal and health factors among VR-participants, (2) gender norms in society influencing VR, (3) energy-intensive environmental issues influencing VR, (4) gender-specific interactions in VR, and (5) gendered paths in the welfare system. Conclusion Social representations of higher strains on women with disabilities compared to men with disabilities both in private and working life, which reflect the lived experiences of the ESs, is a possible explanation for gender differences in VR and working life for persons with disabilities. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Gender differences in the outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions have been noticed worldwide. In this study, pervasive social representations about gender and disability in relation to VR were found, but also unconsciousness about gender among VR professionals. Therefore, awareness of gender is necessary in VR. Individualized and person-centered approaches to VR like Supported Employment, although considered best practice, might hide structures like gender, which could lead to reproducing discriminating processes and therefore not achieving gender equality in VR. Therefore, knowledge of discrimination is important in VR. Gender-sensitivity in vocational rehabilitation models with a person-centered and individualized approach is needed and there might also be a need to systematically tailor vocational rehabilitation models to reach gender equality in the outcomes of the interventions. Therefore, gender equality indicators are needed for VR models, to evaluate model effectiveness from a gender perspective.

Implementation of Journalistic Language in the Organization Category of Visi Nusantara Online Media

The use of journalistic language cannot be separated from the journey of print media in everyday life. The meaning conveyed through arranged words can give birth to meaning. Understanding related to the implementation of journalistic language must be in accordance with the rules or guidelines of journalistic language, so that a journalist is required to master the rules of writing journalistic language. The purpose of this study is to determine the application and characteristics of journalistic language characteristics used by the news category of the Visi Nusantara online media organization, then to find out the impact of the news category for students who are active in organizations. The researcher conducted a document analysis on Visi Nusantara’s organizational category news as many as 18 news editions in 2022. The results show that the characteristics of journalistic language consist of simple, short, dense, straightforward, clear, clear, interesting, populist, logical, democratic, grammatical, avoiding speech, foreign words and terms, appropriate diction, prioritizing active sentences, avoiding technical words or terms, and submitting to ethical rules. The existence of this category of news has a positive impact on students because the news contained is packaged informatively, although there are some mistakes in the writing, it does not rule out the possibility of this news becoming a field of information and inspiration for students and people who play a role in the world of organizations.
 Keywords: journalistic, journalistic language, organization, Visi Nusantara

Evaluation of potential rabies exposure among Japanese international travelers: A retrospective descriptive study.

Although Japan has been a rabies-free country for >50 years, a few cases have been reported among people traveling abroad. This study aimed to investigate animal exposure among Japanese travelers using the Japanese Registry for Infectious Diseases from Abroad (J-RIDA). In this retrospective analysis, we examined Japanese overseas travelers with animal exposure, as included the J-RIDA database, reported from October 1, 2017, to October 31, 2019, with a focus on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) administration and the animals to which the patients were exposed. Among the 322 cases included in the analysis, 19 (5.9%) patients received PrEP and 303 did not. The most common purpose of travel was a non-package tour (n = 175, 54.3%). Most trips (n = 213, 66.1%) were to a single country for <2 weeks. Most patients (n = 286, 87.9%) traveled to countries with a rabies risk. The majority of patients with and without PrEP were injured in rabies-risk countries [n = 270 (89.1%) for non-PrEP and n = 16 (84.2%) for PrEP]. Animals associated with injuries included dogs (55.0%), cats (25.5%), and monkeys (15.5%). Most patients were classified as World Health Organization Category II/III for contact with suspected rabid animals (39.5% and 44.1% for categories II and III, respectively) and had exposure within 5 days of travel. Southeast Asia (n = 180, 55.9%) was the most common region in which travelers were exposed to animals. Japanese overseas travelers had contact with animals that could possibly transmit the rabies virus, even on short trips. Promoting pre-travel consultation and increasing awareness of the potential for rabies exposure are important for prevention of rabies among Japanese international travelers.

The Impact Tech Startup: Initial Findings on a New, SDG-Focused Organizational Category

This study sheds light on the prevalence, focus, and key structural dimensions of the Impact Tech Startup—a new organizational category of enterprise whose technologically innovative products or services are aimed at creating social or environmental impact. After tracing the Impact Tech Startup’s conceptual roots and the features it shares with startups and social enterprises, we examine the context of Israel as a particularly supportive environment for startup entrepreneurship. We then present the initial findings from our empirical study conducted in Israel, in which we examined 1657 startups, developed a machine learning algorithm to identify which of these can be classified as an Impact Tech Startup, and clustered the results within the framework of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Our findings indicate that approximately one third of Israel’s startups can be classified as an Impact Tech Startup. Of these, almost a third are producing products or services relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Furthermore, we find that the technologies deployed by ITSs can help optimize decisions by professionals and, in doing so, substantially contribute to tackling social and environmental challenges. This study aimed to give the Impact Tech Startup an initial “face” and to invite further, more detailed studies in the future.

Mobile care - a possible future for emergency care in Sweden

IntroductionProvision of mobile care at the home of patients appears to become necessary as the population becomes increasingly older. But there are challenges in moving emergency care from hospitals to the home of patients. The aim of the study was therefore to describe the experiences of the mobile care in Sweden.MethodSemi structured interviews were conducted with 12 persons with experience of mobile care in Sweden, such as nurses, physicians, civil servants and politicians. Qualitative latent content analysis was used as an analysis method.ResultThe results show that cooperation is of utmost importance to achieve functioning mobile care. Cooperation both on an inter-organizational level and on a close team-work is required for all of the involved parties in mobile care to take on a joint responsibility for the patient. As mobile care is primarily provided to elderly multimorbid patients, a comprehensive view on patient care is required in which the patient and their relatives experience security.ConclusionMobile care is seen as a moving care that comes to the seeking person and not the other way around. The resources are distributed where they make the most use, that is, closest to the individual. Mobile care is seen as a complement to the traditional hospital care. This means a different way of working that requires close collaboration between different categories of personnel and organizations, where there should not be any discussions about boundaries, rather, the discussion should include patient’s needs and situation instead.

Prevalence of visual impairment among primary and secondary school children in Delta State, Nigeria

Purpose: Visual impairment (VI) being a state of physiological or pathological disorders of vision posesa burden on human activities globally. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of VI among school children in Delta State.&#x0D; Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 201 respondents aged 6 to 19 years were randomly selected from primary and secondary schools in the three senatorial districts of Delta State. Participants were evaluated using a structured questionnaire, distance Snellen chart, ophthalmoscope, and torchlight. Vision status was defined using World Health Organization categories of visual impairment based on presenting visual acuity (PVA). Data were presented in frequency tables, charts and analysed with Chi-Square statistics. All p-values reported were two-tailed and statistical significance was defined as P &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; Results: The mean age of participants was 12.30± 3.14 years, while 118 (58.7%) were females. The overall prevalence of VI (PVA of &lt;6/18 in the better eye) was 58 (28.9%). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe VI was 40 (19.9%), 13 (6.5%), and 5 (2.5%) respectively. Refractive error 47 (23.4%) was the leading cause of VI. The prevalence of VI was higher in females, children 13-19 years, and respondents whose parents’ income per month was &gt;100,000. These observed differences were not statistically significant (p&gt;0.05)&#x0D; Conclusion: Untreated refractive error was the leading cause of VI among school children in Delta State. This is an avoidable cause of VI that can be treated with spectacle prescription to ease the burden of visual loss.