Visual impairment and spectacle use in schoolchildren in rural and urban regions in Beijing.
OBJECTIVE
To determine prevalence and associations of visual impairment and frequency of spectacle use among grade 1 and grade 4 students in Beijing.


METHODS
This school-based, cross-sectional study included 382 grade 1 children (age 6.3 ± 0.5 years) and 299 grade 4 children (age 9.4 ± 0.7 years) who underwent a comprehensive eye examination including visual acuity, noncycloplegic refractometry, and ocular biometry.


RESULTS
Presenting visual acuity (mean 0.04 ± 0.17 logMAR) was associated with younger age (p = 0.002), hyperopic refractive error (p<0.001), and male sex (p = 0.03). Presenting visual impairment (presenting visual acuity ≤20/40 in the better eye) was found in 44 children (prevalence 6.64 ± 1.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.74, 8.54]). Mean best-corrected visual acuity (right eyes -0.02 ± 0.04 logMAR) was associated with more hyperopic refractive error (p = 0.03) and rural region of habitation (p<0.001). The prevalence of best-corrected visual impairment (best-corrected visual acuity ≤20/40 in the better eye) was 2/652 (0.30 ± 0.21% [95% CI 0.00, 0.72]). Undercorrection of refractive error was present in 53 children (7.99 ± 1.05%) and was associated with older age (p = 0.003; B 0.53; OR 1.71 [95% CI 1.20, 2.42]), myopic refractive error (p = 0.001; B -0.72; OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.35, 0.68]), and longer axial length (p = 0.002; B 0.74; OR 2.10 [95% CI 1.32, 3.32]). Spectacle use was reported for 54 children (8.14 ± 1.06%). Mean refractive error of the worse eyes of these children was -2.09 ± 2.88 D (range -7.38 to +7.25 D).


CONCLUSIONS
Factors associated with presenting visual impairment were older age, myopic refractive error, and higher maternal education level. Despite a prevalence of myopia of 33% in young schoolchildren in Greater Beijing, prevalence of best-corrected visual impairment (0.30% ± 0.21%), presenting visual impairment (6.64% ± 1.0%), and undercorrection of refractive error (7.99% ± 1.05%) were relatively low.
1 Tongren Eye Care Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing - China.
Yin
Y
Guo
Li Juan
LJ
Liu
Liang
L
Xu
Yan Yun
YY
Lv
Ping
P
Tang
Yi
Y
Feng
Lei
L
Meng
Jost B
JB
Jonas
D000293:Adolescent; D001699:Biometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D042262:Retinoscopy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*