title: Vision screening in children: Is 7-9 years of age a threshold for visual impairment?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of decreased visual acuity, strabismus, and spectacle wear in children aged 5 to 13 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed in primary education schools. A total of 1938 participants, including 940 females (48.5%) and 998 males (51.5%) with a mean age 8.96 ± 2.31 (5-13 years old), were screened. The comparisons were performed with gender, age, and age groups. The children attended to vision screening were assigned to three age groups as 5-6 years, 7-9 years, and 10-13 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of the parameters was detected as decreased visual acuity 12.4%, strabismus 2.2%, and spectacle wear 6.9%. The prevalence of decreased visual acuity was significantly higher in girls and in children aged 7-9 years old (p = 0.013, p < 0.001). The prevalence of spectacle wear was significantly higher in girls and in children aged 7-9 years old (p = 0.019, p < 0.001). There was a visual acuity decrease in 33 of 106 (31.1%) children despite wearing own spectacle. There was no significant difference among three age groups for strabismus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased prevalence of decreased visual acuity, as well as the higher frequency of spectacle wear in children at ages of 7-9 years old may point out a threshold for visual impairment.
authors.affiliation: Yusuf Haydar Ertekin, Department of Family Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale 17042, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf Haydar
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ertekin
authors.affiliation: Murat Tekin, Department of Family Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale 17042, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.affiliation: Aysegul Uludag, Department of Family Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale 17042, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uludag
authors.affiliation: Sedat Arikan, Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale 17042, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.affiliation: Erkan Melih Sahin, Department of Family Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale 17042, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan Melih
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sahin
keywords: Eyeglasses; Strabismus; Vision disorders; Vision screening; Visual acuity