Prevalence of refractive errors among the school-going children in East Sikkim

Health-related quality of life measurements in children and adolescents with refractive errors: A scoping review

Background

Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are the leading visual disorders worldwide, significantly affecting the quality of life (QOL) even after correction. This scoping review focuses on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements for children and adolescents with refractive errors.

Main text

We explored generic and disease-specific HRQOL tools, examining their content, psychometric properties, and the impact of various interventions on QOL. Two English databases-PubMed, Embase, and one Chinese database, CNKI, were searched for relevant studies published from January 2001 to October 2023. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies using standardized instruments to assess the QOL of children aged 0-18 with refractive errors. The review compares prevalent HRQOL measurements, analyzes children's refractive error assessments, and discusses intervention effects on patient QOL.

Conclusions

The study underlines the necessity of developing disease-specific QOL instruments for very young children and serves as a practical guide for researchers in this field. The findings advocate for a targeted approach in HRQOL assessment among the pediatric population, identifying critical gaps in current methodologies.

Biomechanical properties of cornea and ocular aberrations in myopic eyes

PURPOSE

To study the correlation of corneal topography, corneal biomechanical properties, and ocular aberrations with the magnitude of refractive error in myopic eyes.

METHODS

All myopic patients attending the clinic for refractive surgery were recruited. Data recorded included visual acuity, axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), topography (Pentacam - Oculus), corneal biomechanical factors [ocular response analyzer (ORA)], and optical aberrations (iTrace). They were further categorized into group 1 (suitable for femto-LASIK) and group 2 (unsuitable for femto-LASIK).

RESULTS

Sixty eyes (30 myopes) of mean age 22.78 ± 2.71 years were enrolled. A negative correlation of refractive error was noted with AL (ρ = -0.9; P < 0.001), total aberrations (ρ = 0.53; P < 0.001), and lower-order aberrations (LOA) (ρ = 0.54; P < 0.001). A strongly positive correlation was noted between CCT and corneal hysteresis (CH) (ρ = 0.63; P < 0.001), CCT and CRF (ρ = 0.56; P < 0.001), CH and corneal resistance factor (CRF) (ρ = 0.83; P < 0.001), and Goldmann equivalent intraocular pressure (IOPg) and corneal compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc) (ρ = 0.78; P < 0.001). An increase in higher-order aberrations (HOAs) as well as lower-order aberrations (LOAs) was noted with increasing sim-K [HOA (r = 0.73, P = 0.001); LOA (r = 0.601, P = 0.014)] and increasing CRF [HOA (r = 0.5, P = 0.006); LOA (r = 0.732, P = 0.001)] in group 2. The amount of refractive error, axial length, central corneal thickness, and sim-K were significantly different in the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Increasing degree of myopia is associated with an increase in axial length, total aberrations, and lower-order aberrations. Corneal biomechanical parameters have a strong correlation with each other. Lower corneal biomechanics are noted in high myopes as they have weaker and thinner corneas. Corneal biomechanics and ocular aberrations do not differ significantly between cases suitable for femto-LASIK and cases unsuitable for femto-LASIK.

Epidemiology and trends in the uptake of refractive error services in Harare, Zimbabwe: a hospital-based retrospective study

Aim

The study aimed to determine the epidemiology and evaluate the trends in the uptake of refractive error services in Harare.

Methods

A clinic-based retrospective study at the Greenwood Park Eye Centre and its three subsidiaries was conducted from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

Results

12,216 patients' records were retrieved, out of which 1074 (8.79%) had refractive error cases. The prevalence of visual impairment at presentation was 5.80% [95% CI: 5.39 - 6.23]. Among those with refractive error, the sample prevalence of visual impairment before correction was 41.30% [CI: 38.3 - 44.3, 95%], and 2.20% [95% CI: 1.4 - 3.3] after correction. There was inconsistency in the percentage utilization of refractive error services, with the highest being 42.60% in 2015. Refractive error types were related to age, employment position, and type of visual impairment prior to refractive error treatment.

Conclusion

There was a low percentage of refractive error services uptake in urban Zimbabwe.

Prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among school-going children in district Baramulla, Kashmir: A cross sectional study

PURPOSE

Uncorrected refractive error is one of the most important causes of visual impairment worldwide. Addressing childhood vision impairment (VI) is one of the main goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat blindness strategies.

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among children aged 10 to 16 years in Baramulla district, Kashmir.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 680 school children during an eye camp under the school health program of the national program for control of blindness. The screening was conducted in four schools in Baramulla district, Kashmir. The schools were selected using the non-probability convenient sampling technique.

RESULTS

A total of 680 school children from classes sixth to tenth aged 10-16 years participated in the study. Out of 680 students, 545 (80%) had normal vision, 97 (14%) had impaired visual acuity ranging between 6/9 and 6/24, and 38 (6%) had severe VI ranging from 6/36 to 6/60. Among the various types of refractive errors, myopia was the most prevalent affecting 54 children. Age distribution of refractive errors showed myopia to be more prevalent in the age group 13-14 years (16, 14 cases), hypermetropia was more prevalent in the age group 14-15 years (10, 8 cases), and astigmatism 5 cases in the age group 14-15 years.

CONCLUSION

The study provides useful and baseline data about the refractive error amongst the school children of the Baramulla district. A larger study needs to be conducted in all schools of the state to get a clear picture of RE and other eye-related problems to detect vision problems earlier.

Prevalence of refractive errors in children of Puerto Rico

AIM

To determine the prevalence of refractive error in 5- to 17-year-old schoolchildren in Puerto Rico.

METHODS

A quantitative descriptive study of 2867 children aged 5 to 17y from all seven educational regions of Puerto Rico was conducted from 2016-2019. Refractive error was determined via static and subjective refraction. Children with distance acuity ≤20/40 or near visual acuity ≤20/32 had a cycloplegic refraction. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, and t test calculations.

RESULTS

Twenty percent of the children had a spherical equivalent refractive error ≤ -0.50 D, 3.2% had a spherical equivalent ≥ +2.00 D, and 10.4% had astigmatism ≥1 D. There was a statistically (but non-clinically) significant myopic change in spherical equivalent refractive error with age (P<0.001). The prevalence of myopia increased with age (P<0.001) but not hyperopia (P=0.59) or astigmatism (P=0.51). Males had a significantly higher hyperopic spherical equivalent than females (P<0.001). Females had a higher prevalence of myopia (P<0.001) than males, but there was no difference in the hyperopia (P=0.74) or astigmatism prevalence (P=0.87).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of a spherical equivalent equal to or less than -0.50 D (myopia, 20.7%) is one of the highest among similar-aged children worldwide. Further studies should explore the rate of myopia progression in children in Puerto Rico. Individual children must be monitored to examine the need for treatment of myopia progression.