Pattern of ocular abnormalities among students attending schools for the hearing impaired in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Vision screening and detection of ophthalmic disorders in hearingimpaired individuals is important to optimise their visual function and therefore, their quality of life. Objective: To determine the utilisation of eye care services among students attending schools for the hearing impaired in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among hearingimpaired students aged 11 years and above. Using systematic random sampling, participants were selected from four schools. An interviewer administered semistructured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and information on history of eye symptoms and utilisation of eye care services. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS software version 22 and test of association done using chi-square test with level of statistical significance set at p-value <0.05. Results: A total of 335 students were recruited into the study. Mean age was 17 ± 2.9 years (range 11 - 39 years). Only 147 (43.9%) respondents had utilised eye care services in the past. Some of the reasons given for non-utilisation include financial constraints and lack of an escort to the hospital. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the rate of utilisation of eye care services among the studied population is suboptimal. Therefore, it is essential for government, eye care providers and other stakeholders to design and implement policies and eye care programmes that would improve the uptake of eye care services among hearing-impaired individuals. This will reduce the compounding effect of visual impairment in such individuals.

Prevalence and causes of visual impairment amongst hearing impaired school-going children in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

“…The limitation of Omolase et al study is that they classified visual impairment for the right and left eyes instead using the better-seeing eye. Another study conducted in Nigeria by Majekodunmi et al, 37 in 2018, reported that 56.1% of the learners had visual problems and 34.6% had visual impairment. The participants included 58.2% male and 41.8% female learners.…”

“…However, female learners with disabilities encounter an inequitable primary and secondary education as the African society values education for the boy-child than the girl-child. 37,42 The prevalence of ocular morbidity was high (20.9-73.26), which can remain undetected and impact the learners' academic pursuits. The high prevalence can be reduced through periodic eye screening, better screening protocols amongst the learners, and awareness of eye health among caretakers such as parents and teachers since these learners rely primarily on visual cues.…”

“…However, female learners with disabilities encounter an inequitable primary and secondary education as the African society values education for the boy-child than the girl-child. 37 , 42…”

“…Also, poor level of eye care service utilization, which results from inadequate funds, late presentation and lack of an escort to health facilities among parents/guardians of these learners may contribute to the high prevalence. 34 , 38 , 46 Eye health education and promotion will improve the uptake of eye care utilization, which will reduce the prevalence among learners with hearing impairment.…”

Oculo-visual Assessment of Children and Adolescents with Special Needs in Selected Schools within IMO State, Nigeria

“…These variations may be partly due to differences in the operational definition for classification of refractive errors, partly due to geographical location where the studies were conducted, and partly from the age distribution of the study participants. Majekodunmi et al, (2018) [26], reported that only 7.5% of their subjects with refractive errors had spectacles corrections which they got from clinics outside their school. This may likely be due to the fact that their parents may have been overwhelmed with the other challenges of their primary disability and had no clue to the possibility of ocular problems.…”