Visual acuity and refraction by age for children of three different ethnic groups in Paraguay

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize refractive errors in Paraguayan children aged 5-16 years and investigate effect of age, gender, and ethnicity. Methods: The study was conducted at 3 schools that catered to Mennonite, in digenous, and mixed race children. Children were examined for presenting visual acuity, autorefraction with and without cycloplegia, and retinoscopy. Data were analyzed for myopia and hyperopia (SE ≤-1 D or -0.5 D and ≥2 D or ≥3 D) and astigmatism (cylinder ≥1 D). Spherical equivalent (SE) values were calculated from right eye cycloplegic autorefraction data and analyzed using general linear modelling. Results: There were 190, 118, and 168 children of Mennonite, indigenous and mixed race ethnicity, respectively. SE values between right/left eyes were nonsignificant. Mean visual acuity (VA) without correction was better for Mennonites compared to indigenous or mixed race children (right eyes: 0.031, 0.090, and 0.102 logMAR units, respectively; P<0.000001). There were 2 cases of myopia in the Mennonite group (1.2%) and 2 cases in the mixed race group (1.4%) (SE ≤-0.5 D). The prevalence of hyperopia (SE ≥2 D) was 40.6%, 34.2%, and 46.3% for Mennonite, indigenous and mixed race children. Corresponding astigmatism rates were 3.2%, 9.5%, and 12.7%. Females were slightly more hyperopic than males, and the 9-11 years age group was the most hyperopic. Mennonite and mixed race children were more hyperopic than indigenous children. Conclusions: Paraguayan children were remarkably hyperopic and relatively free of myopia. Differences with regard to gender, age, and ethnicity were small.

Prevalence of Visual Impairment and Refractive Errors in Children of South Sinai, Egypt

“…21 Carter and colleagues found Paraguayan children were remarkably hyperopic and relatively free of myopia. 22 Yared and co-workers found that myopia ( À0.50D) was the most prevalent refractive error (31.6%) among Ethiopian children. 8 Such variations confirm that there are differences in vision and refractive error according to ethnicity, sex, age, geographical region and population patterns.…”

Development of an Educational Video for the Promotion of Eye Health in School Children

“…Thus, the practices of health education actions in schools contribute to the integral formation of students in coping with vulnerabilities as well as in the formation of citizens. 26 Authors suggest that programs aimed at prevention and promotion of ocular health need to be developed in a continuous way, with the participative collaboration of the whole group that surrounds the child. Parents, teachers, health professionals, and the community at large should be included to form a preventive and health promotion culture.…”

“…Parents, teachers, health professionals, and the community at large should be included to form a preventive and health promotion culture. 26 It is believed that educational materials such as video can spark people's interest. When well elaborated through idea and dramatic construction, it becomes attractive and effective to the goal that is proposed.…”

A review on the epidemiology of myopia in school children worldwide

“…In these countries even when considering an overestimated non-cycloplegic measurements the prevalence of myopia in school children remains low e.g., in the Republic of South Africa (7%) [38] or in Colombia (11.2%) [25,37]. Carter et al also found a very low prevalence of myopia (with relatively common hyperopia) in indigenous schoolchildren from Paraguay (1.4%) [28].…”

“…2 (non-cycloplegic measurements). The prevalence ranged from 0.7% in Saudi Arabia (children aged 3 to 10 years) [35], 1.4% in South America (children aged 5-15 years) [28] to 65.5% in a cohort of 3rd year junior high school students (age 14-15 years; mean 15.25 ± 0.46 years) in the Haidian district of Beijing. The highest prevalence of myopia in schoolchildren was reported in East Asia and Singapore, urban areas of China, Taiwan and South Korea [39,40].…”