AIM: To share the results of a national screening program for amblyopia in school children in the north of Jordan.
METHODS: This is a prospective national screening study for amblyopia. The program rolls first and second-grade children (6 to 7 years old) in the north of Jordan. The eye examination included: best-corrected visual acuity, cover-uncover test, and cycloplegic retinoscopy. Monocular visual acuity was tested using an ETDRS visual acuity chart without correction. Moreover, children were tested with full cycloplegic refraction when the test criteria were met. Unilateral amblyopia was defined as a best-corrected visual acuity difference of 2 or more lines. In comparison, bilateral amblyopia was defined as a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the best eye.
RESULTS: The prevalence of amblyopia for the total sample tested (n=17 203) was 2.78% (n=479). The most common cause of amblyopia was hypermetropia (64.45%), followed by previous ocular surgeries (15.1%), myopia (10.43%), strabismus (9.39%), and congenital cataract (0.63%).
CONCLUSION: This is the first and only study, identi?ng modifiable risk factors in Jordanian children with amblyopia. In their first couple of years of elementary education, many Jordanian children are affected by amblyopia and pass unnoticed. A more governmental effort is needed into screening programs to improve vision in the Jordanian population.
Causes of bilateral low vision [BLLV] and bilateral blindness [BLB] were investigated among 720 outpatients aged > 45 years in Irbid, Jordan, between July 1999 and October 2000. All received full ophthalmic examinations. BLLV was defined as visual acuity < 6/18 but > 3/60 in the better eye; BLB as acuity < 3/60 in the better eye. The leading cause of BLB and BLLV was cataract. Refractive error was the second major cause of BLLV. Other common causes were diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Age-related macular degeneration was the single cause of BLB and BLLV for only 1.6% and 2.8% respectively. A population-based survey of BLB and BLLV in the elderly, yearly vision examinations and an ophthalmic education programme are recommended.
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