Prevalence Of Uncorrected Refractive Error Research Articles

Magnitude and Determinants of the Ratio between Prevalence of Low Vision and Blindness in Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness Surveys

ABSTRACTPurpose: To determine the magnitude and determinants of the ratio between prevalence of low vision and prevalence of blindness in rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) surveys globally.Methods: Standard RAAB reports were downloaded from the repository or requested from principal investigators. Potential predictor variables included prevalence of uncorrected refractive error (URE) as well as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, health expenditure per capita of the country across World Bank regions. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to investigate the correlation between potential predictor variables and the ratio.Results: The results of 94 surveys from 43 countries showed that the ratio ranged from 1.35 in Mozambique to 11.03 in India with a median value of 3.90 (Interquartile range 3.06;5.38). Univariate regression analysis showed that prevalence of URE (p = 0.04), logarithm of GDP per capita (p = 0.01) and logarithm of health expenditure per capita (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with the higher ratio. However, only prevalence of URE was found to be significant in multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.03).Conclusion: There is a wide variation in the ratio of the prevalence of low vision to the prevalence of blindness. Eye care service utilization indicators such as the prevalence of URE may explain some of the variation across the regions.

The prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors in underserved rural areas

PurposeTo determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors, need for spectacles, and the determinants of unmet need in underserved rural areas of Iran. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, multistage cluster sampling was done in 2 underserved rural areas of Iran. Then, all subjects underwent vision testing and ophthalmic examinations including the measurement of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity, visual acuity with current spectacles, auto-refraction, retinoscopy, and subjective refraction. Need for spectacles was defined as UCVA worse than 20/40 in the better eye that could be corrected to better than 20/40 with suitable spectacles. ResultsOf the 3851 selected individuals, 3314 participated in the study. Among participants, 18.94% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 13.48–24.39] needed spectacles and 11.23% (95% CI: 7.57–14.89) had an unmet need. The prevalence of need for spectacles was 46.8% and 23.8% in myopic and hyperopic participants, respectively. The prevalence of unmet need was 27% in myopic, 15.8% in hyperopic, and 25.46% in astigmatic participants. Multiple logistic regression showed that education and type of refractive errors were associated with uncorrected refractive errors; the odds of uncorrected refractive errors were highest in illiterate participants, and the odds of unmet need were 12.13, 5.1, and 4.92 times higher in myopic, hyperopic and astigmatic participants as compared with emmetropic individuals. ConclusionThe prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors was rather high in our study. Since rural areas have less access to health care facilities, special attention to the correction of refractive errors in these areas, especially with inexpensive methods like spectacles, can prevent a major proportion of visual impairment.

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

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.

The state of ocular health among London's homeless population.

PurposeTo investigate the demographics, visual impairment, and diagnoses of patients presenting to Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), Crisis clinics for London's under-researched homeless population.Patients and methodsTwo hundred eighty-three patients records, including data on sociodemographic, diabetic status, visual acuity, and ocular examination, via a comprehensive eye test were reviewed from the VCHP clinics held at 10 London 'Crisis at Christmas' centres in 2014.ResultsTwo hundred eighty-three individual patients were seen at the VCHP clinics. Eighty-nine percent of patients were male and 11% were female. Thirty-two percent (90) patients had an ocular pathology. Lens problems, including cataracts (7%), vitreoretinal (6%), ocular motility (5%), and external eye disease (5%), were the four most common pathologies. In total, 6.4% of the patients reported that they were diabetic and a medical referral letter was given to 10% of the patients seen. Two hundred thirty-three were dispensed glasses (82%). Readers were most common (39%), then distance (28%), bifocals (15%). Presenting visual impairment was 12% in the patients tested. After refractive correction, this dropped to 2.5%.ConclusionThis study shows that there is a high prevalence of uncorrected refractive error among patients attending the Crisis for Christmas eye clinic. These data also show high prevalence of ocular pathology. There is a clear need for the provision of eye tests and spectacles to tackle the issues and prevent visual impairment. More research and eye care services are needed to investigate how this is linked to their living status and enable this vulnerable population to transition out of homelessness.

Rapid assessment of refractive error in the eThekwini Municipality of KwaZulu‐Natal, Durban, South Africa

BackgroundPopulation‐based studies involving refractive error in South Africa are few because they are expensive to conduct and require a high level of expertise. Rapid assessment of refractive error (RARE) is a relatively less resource‐intensive method designed to assess the magnitude of uncorrected refractive error (URE), spectacle coverage and barriers to access of services. This information is useful for designing and implementing programs as well as for policy development.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error and spectacle coverage and to explore the barriers to uptake of refractive services in persons 15 to 35-years old in the eThekwini municipality, Durban, South Africa.MethodsA cross‐sectional epidemiological study was conducted using the RARE protocol. A total of 1,543 participants were enumerated and 1,516 were examined. Uncorrected refractive error was defined as presenting visual acuity less than 6/12 that could be corrected to 6/12 or better using a pinhole. Spectacle coverage was defined as the proportion of need that was already met with spectacle correction.ResultsThe prevalence of age and sex adjusted URE was 1.5% (95 per cent CI: 0.7 –2.3). Odds for uncorrected refractive error in women were 0.5 (95 per cent CI: 0.3‐0.9) lower compared to men. There was a statistically significant association between uncorrected refractive error and respondents 15 to 24-years old (p < 0.001). The spectacle coverage (6/12 cut‐off) was 51.4 per cent (95 per cent CI: 28.1–74.7). The prevalence of spectacle use among participants was 3.8 per cent.ConclusionsThe low prevalence of uncorrected refractive error found in this study agrees with previous studies that indicate that despite uncorrected refractive error being the most common cause of visual impairment and the second most common cause of blindness worldwide, its prevalence is relatively low in South Africans.

Uncorrected refractive errors, presbyopia and spectacle coverage in Kamuli District, Uganda

Background: Successful refractive error programmes arise from evidence that can be collected cost effectively and timely.Aim: To investigate the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error (URE), presbyopia and spectacle coverage in the Kamuli district, Uganda.Setting: The study was conducted in the Kamuli district in Uganda.Methods: The Rapid Assessment of Refractive Error (RARE) study design is a communitybased cross-sectional study using multistage cluster random sampling to gather information on refractive errors and presbyopia. Subjects aged 15 years and older were selected from the population in Kamuli district in Uganda. Vision impairment due to URE at distance and near and barriers to uptake of refractive error services were investigated.Results: Participants, N = 3281 (57.6% male), with an age range of 15–92 years were enumerated and the response rate was 100%. The prevalence of refractive errors was 4.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7 – 5.5) and the spectacle coverage was 5.96% (95% CI 1.74% – 10.18%). The prevalence of uncorrected presbyopia was 50.3% (95% CI 47.6% – 53.0%) and the spectacle coverage was 0%. Thirty-three (or 1%) respondents were current spectacle users. One-hundred fourteen people (3.5%) had previously used spectacles; however, 50.9% of them discontinued spectacle use a year before the study because the spectacles were broken or scratched. The major barriers to spectacle uptake were accessibility of services and affordability of spectacles.Conclusion: The prevalence of URE and the barriers to uptake of refractive services will inform the implementation of refractive services in the study area. Key words: Uncorrected refractive errors; presbyopia and spectacle coverage

The Prevalence of Uncorrected Refractive Errors in Adolescents Incarcerated in a Youth Detention Center

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of residents requiring corrective lenses in a youth detention center for juveniles from 12 to 18 years old over a 2-year period. A greater number of adolescents incarcerated for criminal activity in a detention center had uncorrected refractive errors (34.87 %) as compared to a comparable population in the public school system (22 %). The prevalence of significant refractive errors among incarcerated adolescents in this study is significantly higher than has been reported previously. The current study found a refractive error rate of almost 35 %. This difference can be explained by a number of factors in their social environments and identifies an area for potential intervention to reduce antisocial behavior in this population.

Comparison between primary school children of urban and rural areas for prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors and amblyopia

Aims: The present study was planned to evaluate the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors and the frequency of amblyopia in primary school children, and to compare the findings between rural and urban settings. Material and Method: It was a cross sectional study in which 560 children studying in 1st to 6th standard in age group of 6 to 10 years in primary school of urban and rural area were evaluated for uncorrected refractive errors and amblyopia. All children underwent a preliminalary examination at school level and those who were having refractive errors were further undergone a detail eye check up at ophthalmology OPD of our medical college. Later on the data was analysed statistically. Results: The prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors was found to be 10.35% (29/280) in urban area and 8.57% (24/280) in rural area. Out of total uncorrected refractive errors, mostly have uncorrected myopia both in urban and rural areas. Conclusion: Difference in prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors and amblyopia was found to be statistically insignificant in both the urban and rural primary school children. (p value=0.564 for uncorrected refractive errors and p value=1 for amblyopia)

Rapid Assessment of Refractive Error, Presbyopia, and Visual Impairment and Associated Quality of Life in Nampula, Mozambique

Introduction Uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide and leads to an impaired quality of life. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error and presbyopia, to assess spectacle coverage, and to evaluate visual health-related quality of life among persons aged 15–50 years old in Nampula, Mozambique. Methods Participants were assessed using a validated rapid assessment of refractive error protocol, comprised of a demographic questionnaire, a standardized ophthalmic assessment to determine refractive status and spectacle coverage, and a modified vision-related quality of life questionnaire to assess the impact of uncorrected refractive error on participants’ visual health status. Results Among the 3,453 respondents, visual impairment prevalence was 3.5% (95%, CI 2.7%–4.2%), with 65.8% of those visually impaired being 35 years of age and older. Uncorrected refractive error prevalence was 2.6% (95%, CI 2.1–3.2%), and was the primary cause of visual impairment among 64.5% of cases. The spectacle coverage for uncorrected refractive error was 0%. Presbyopia prevalence was higher, at 25.8% (95%, CI 12.0–30.5%), with only 2.2% spectacle coverage. Respondents with visual impairment demonstrated statistically significantly lower quality of life scores compared to those without visual problems ( p &lt; 0.01). Implications for practitioners The uncorrected refractive error problem and a distinct lack of spectacle coverage for refractive error and presbyopia indicate an urgent need for the development and delivery of a comprehensive refractive error service in the Nampula region of Mozambique.

Vision screening to detect refractive errors in three selected secondary schools in Birnin Kebbi, North West, Nigeria

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error among students in three selected secondary schools in Birnin Kebbi metropolis as many children with poor vision due to refractive error remain undiagnosed and perform poorly in schools. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted over a period of 2 months (May-June 2014). A total of 614 students were included from three randomly chosen secondary schools in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. Subjects were selected using random sampling technique from the list of students available through the help of their class teachers. Visual acuity (VA) was measured with a Snellen chart, while students with subnormal vision (VA ≤ 6/9) were examined using pinhole, and subsequently referred for detailed eye examination and retinoscopy evaluation. Results: The age range was from 11 to 20 years comprising 50.8% (n = 312) males and 48.2% (n = 302) females. Refractive error in either eye was present in 30 (4.8%) children. Of these, myopia was diagnosed in 18 (60%) children, and then hyperopia in 7 (23.3%), and astigmatism in 5 (16.7%) subjects. Spectacle coverage was low as only three pupils were found to be using glasses with lack of awareness and lack of access to eye care services as major barriers. Conclusions: Uncorrected refractive error is found among secondary schools students in Birnin Kebbi, and there is a need for the establishment of regular and effective school vision screening program to detect and refer patients for treatment.

Uncorrected refractive error and associated factors among primary school children in Debre Markos District, Northwest Ethiopia.

BackgroundUncorrected Refractive Error is one of the leading cause amblyopia that exposes children to poor school performance. It refrain them from productive working lives resulting in severe economic and social loses in their latter adulthood lives. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error and its associated factors among school children in Debre Markos District.MethodA cross section study design was employed. Four hundred thirty two students were randomly selected using a multistage stratified sampling technique. The data were collected by trained ophthalmic nurses through interview, structured questionnaires and physical examinations. Snellens visual acuity measurement chart was used to identify the visual acuity of students. Students with visual acuity less than 6/12 had undergone further examination using auto refractor and cross-checked using spherical and cylindrical lenses. The data were entered into epi data statistical software version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 20. The statistical significance was set at ≤ 0.05. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using odds ratios with 95% confidence interval.ResultOut of 432 students selected for the study, 420 (97.2%) were in the age group 7–15 years. The mean age was 12 ± 2.1SD. Overall prevalence of refractive error was 43 (10.2%). Myopia was found among the most dominant 5.47% followed by astigmatism 1.9% and hyperopia 1.4% in both sexes. Female sex (AOR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.55-10.09), higher grade level (AOR: 4.82, 95% CI: 1.98-11.47) and using computers regularly (AOR: 4.53, 95% CI: 1.58-12.96) were significantly associated with refractive error.ConclusionThe burden of uncorrected refractive errors is high among primary schools children. Myopia was common in both sexes. The potential risk factors were sex, regular use of computers and higher grade level of students. Hence, school health programs should work on health information dissemination and eye health care services provision.

Prevalence of correctable visual impairment in primary school children in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia

PurposeThe worldwide prevalence of refractive errors (RE), which is a common cause of treatable visual impairment among children, varies widely. We assessed the prevalence of correctable visual impairment (uncorrected RE) in primary school children in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 21 primary schools. A total of 5176 children (mean age 9.5±1.8 years), 2573 boys (49.7%) and 2603 girls (50.3%), underwent a comprehensive eye examination. The examinations consisted of visual acuity, autorefraction, cover test, ocular motility, pupillary evaluation, anterior segment examination, cycloplegic auto-refraction and dilated fundus examination with direct ophthalmoscopy. The children were divided into groups based on their age and gender. ResultsThe overall prevalence of RE in the better eye was 18.6% (n=963), and the prevalence of uncorrected RE 16.3% (n=846), with only 2.3% (n=127) of children wearing spectacles during examination. The prevalence of uncorrected myopia (5.8%) and myopic astigmatism (5.4%) was higher compared to that of hyperopic astigmatism (2.7%), mixed astigmatism (1.7%) and hyperopia (0.7%). The anisometropia prevalence was 3.6%. Risks for astigmatism, myopia and anisometropia were positively associated with age. In addition, myopia and anisometropia risks were also associated with female gender, while risk of astigmatism was correlated with male gender. Few children with vision reducing RE wore spectacles; an additional 16.3% of children could benefit from spectacle prescription. ConclusionThe prevalence of uncorrected RE in children is relatively high and represents an important public health problem in school-aged children in Qassim province. Performance of routine periodical vision screening throughout childhood may reverse this situation.

A study on the prevalence of refractive errors among school childern of 7-15 years age group in the field practice areas of a medical college in bangalore

Background: Refractive Error is an avoidable cause of visual impairment. Diagnosis and Treatment of refractive errors is the simplest and most effective forms of eye care. Aims & Objective: To study the prevalence and determinants of uncorrected refractive errors, among school children of 7-15 years. Material and Methods: The study was a cross sectional study of 1378 government school children of 7- 15 years age group in both rural and urban field practice areas of Dr. BR Ambedkar Medical College, Bangalore. Students were screened for defective vision with the help of Snellen’s chart and refractionist confirmed the findings. Students with refractive error were provided with spectacles free of cost. Data was analysed to determine the prevalence of refractive errors among the school children. Results: 687 children of urban and 691 children of rural area were examined. 53.6% of the study population were boys and 46.4% were girls. The mean age of the study group was 12.4 years. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in urban and rural children was 7.03%. The prevalence of Myopia, Hypermetropia and Astigmatism in children was 4.4%, 1.03%, 1.6% respectively. Children 13 to years 15 attending urban schools were most likely to have uncorrected myopia. Hypermetropia was associated with younger age group and female children. Conclusion: The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error, especially myopia, was higher in older children. Causes of higher prevalence and barriers to refractive error correction services should be identified and addressed. Eye screening of school children is recommended.

Changing trends in the prevalence of visual impairment, uncorrected refractive errors and use of spectacles in Mahbubnagar district in South India

Background/Aim:The Andhra Pradesh Eye disease Study (APEDS) was a conventional cross-sectional study conducted in four locations during 1996-2000. Ten years later, a Rapid Assessment of Refractive Errors (RARE) survey was conducted in one of the geographical regions. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI), uncorrected refractive error (URE), spectacles use obtained from both the surveys was compared.Settings and Design:Rural settings; cross-sectional studies.Materials and Methods:In both the surveys, distance visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a logMAR chart. Pinhole VA was assessed if presenting VA was <20/20 in APEDS and <20/40 in RARE. VI was defined as presenting VA <20/40 in the better eye. URE was defined as presenting VA <20/40 and improving to ≥20/40 with a pinhole.Statistical Analysis Used:Performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi square tests and t-test were used.Results and Conclusions:The results from a RARE survey with 3,095 subjects were compared with an APEDS dataset that had 1,232 subjects in the same age group of 15-49 years. The prevalence of VI has decreased from 9.5% (95% CI, 7.7-11.1) in APEDS to 2.7% (95% CI, 2.1-3.3) in RARE. Similarly, the prevalence of URE in the better eye decreased from 5.8% (95% CI, 4.5-7.1) to 2.3% (95% CI, 1.8-2.8). The usage of spectacles increased from 6.6% (95% CI, 5.2-8.0) to 9.7% (95% CI, 8.7-10.7). There is a decreasing trend in the prevalence of VI and URE in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh over a decade.

Global cost of correcting vision impairment from uncorrected refractive error

To estimate the global cost of establishing and operating the educational and refractive care facilities required to provide care to all individuals who currently have vision impairment resulting from uncorrected refractive error (URE). The global cost of correcting URE was estimated using data on the population, the prevalence of URE and the number of existing refractive care practitioners in individual countries, the cost of establishing and operating educational programmes for practitioners and the cost of establishing and operating refractive care facilities. The assumptions made ensured that costs were not underestimated and an upper limit to the costs was derived using the most expensive extreme for each assumption. There were an estimated 158 million cases of distance vision impairment and 544 million cases of near vision impairment caused by URE worldwide in 2007. Approximately 47 000 additional full-time functional clinical refractionists and 18 000 ophthalmic dispensers would be required to provide refractive care services for these individuals. The global cost of educating the additional personnel and of establishing, maintaining and operating the refractive care facilities needed was estimated to be around 20 000 million United States dollars (US$) and the upper-limit cost was US$28 000 million. The estimated loss in global gross domestic product due to distance vision impairment caused by URE was US$202 000 million annually. The cost of establishing and operating the educational and refractive care facilities required to deal with vision impairment resulting from URE was a small proportion of the global loss in productivity associated with that vision impairment.

Uncorrected refractive error in older British adults: the EPIC-Norfolk Eye Study

AimTo investigate the prevalence of, and demographic associations with, uncorrected refractive error (URE) in an older British population.MethodsData from 4428 participants, aged 48–89 years, who attended an eye examination in...

Prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors, presbyopia and spectacle coverage in marine fishing communities in South India: Rapid Assessment of Visual Impairment (RAVI) project

To investigate the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors, presbyopia and spectacle coverage in subjects aged 40 years or more using a novel Rapid Assessment of Visual Impairment (RAVI) methodology. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using cluster random sampling to enumerate 1700 subjects from 34 clusters predominantly inhabited by marine fishing communities in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Unaided, aided and pinhole visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 m. Near vision was assessed using an N notation chart. Uncorrected refractive error was defined as presenting VA < 6/18 and improving to ≥6/18 with pinhole. Uncorrected presbyopia was defined as binocular near vision worse than N8 in subjects with binocular distance VA ≥ 6/18. 1560 subjects (response rate - 92%) were available for examination. Of these, 54.6% were female and 10.1% were ≥70 years of age. Refractive error was present in 250 individuals. It was uncorrected in 179 (unmet need) and corrected in 71 (met need) individuals. Among 1094 individuals with no distance visual impairment, presbyopia was present in 494 individuals. It was uncorrected in 439 (unmet need) and corrected in 55 individuals (met need). Spectacle coverage was 28.4% for refractive errors and 11.1% for presbyopia. There is a high unmet need for uncorrected refractive errors and presbyopia among marine fishing communities in the Prakasam district of South India. The data from this study can now be used as a baseline prior to the commencement of eye care services in this region.

Uncorrected refractive errors.

Global estimates indicate that more than 2.3 billion people in the world suffer from poor vision due to refractive error; of which 670 million people are considered visually impaired because they do not have access to corrective treatment. Refractive errors, if uncorrected, results in an impaired quality of life for millions of people worldwide, irrespective of their age, sex and ethnicity. Over the past decade, a series of studies using a survey methodology, referred to as Refractive Error Study in Children (RESC), were performed in populations with different ethnic origins and cultural settings. These studies confirmed that the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors is considerably high for children in low-and-middle-income countries. Furthermore, uncorrected refractive error has been noted to have extensive social and economic impacts, such as limiting educational and employment opportunities of economically active persons, healthy individuals and communities. The key public health challenges presented by uncorrected refractive errors, the leading cause of vision impairment across the world, require urgent attention. To address these issues, it is critical to focus on the development of human resources and sustainable methods of service delivery. This paper discusses three core pillars to addressing the challenges posed by uncorrected refractive errors: Human Resource (HR) Development, Service Development and Social Entrepreneurship.

Prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors among schoolchildren In northeast of Iran

AbstractPurpose To determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (UCREs) among schoolchildren In northeast of Iran.Methods In a cross sectional study using random cluster sampling, 2020 schoolchildren 6 to 1 years of age were selected. The participants totaled 1551 (response rate=76.7%), 643 boys and 908 girls of elementary and junior high school students from the schools of northeast of Iran. Refractive errors were measured under cycloplegia. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) of ‐ 0.5 dioptre (D) or worse, hyperopia as a SE of +2.0 D. or more, and astigmatism as cylinder equal to or worse than ‐0.75 D. UCRE was defined as a minimum of 2 lines improvement of visual acuity in the better seeing eye.Results The prevalence of UCRE was 6.2% ( 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5‐7.4%). UCRE was more in boys than girls (P= 0.068). UCRE was not related to age and parent’s education. Myopia and astigmatism were the most common UCREs respectively. Present and corrected visual acuity was not different in 83.3% of the students. Visual acuity of 3 or more and 4 and more lines increased in 2.5% and 0.8% of the subjects after correcting refractive errors respectively. In 21.1%, 9.5% and 3.2% of the students with old correction, visual acuity of 2 or more, 3 more, 4 or more lines increased after new correction respectively .Conclusion The results of this study indicated that the prevalence of UCREs in schoolchildren of Iran northeast were similar to the most places of the world . Vision screening and correction refractive errors can prevented from visual impairment in schoolchildren.

Screening for uncorrected refractive error in secondary school‐age students in Fiji

To estimate the rate of uncorrected refractive error and the associations with gender, age, ethnicity and place of residence. Population-based study. Secondary school students in the Central Division of Fiji. All 58 secondary schools in the Central Division of Fiji were invited to participate and one class per year level at each participating school was randomly selected for screening. Visual acuity was tested using a logMAR chart and pinhole. Outcomes of screening included normal vision, corrected refractive error, uncorrected refractive error (VA <6/12 and improvement to ≥ 6/12 with pinhole (myopia) or hyperopia (tested with +2.00-D lens) and low vision (corrected VA <6/18). Prevalence of uncorrected refractive error. The participation rate of schools was 91% with 8201 students aged 12-20 years; 8021 students had normal vision; 180 had impaired vision (166 refractive error and 14 low vision). The rate of refractive error was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.7-2.3). Indian students were nearly 6 times more likely (OR: 5.89; 95% CI: 4.17-8.34; P < 0.001) to have refractive error than Fijians. The rate of uncorrected refractive error was 0.9% (95% CI: 0.7-1.1) in Fijian students (OR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.37-6.10; P = 0.01) and those living in rural areas (OR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.32-8.16; P = 0.01) were more likely to have uncorrected refractive error. The rate decreased by 20% (95% CI: 4.0-33.0) with each year of increasing age. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in children is relatively low in Fiji with higher rates in Fijian and rural children.