Prevalence and causes of visual impairment among schoolchildren in Mekelle, Ethiopia

Dhanesha, Usha; Polack, Sarah; Bastawrous, Andrew; Banks, Lena Morgon

doi:10.1080/2331205x.2018.1554832

Cited by 13 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In the current meta-analysis, a total of 96 101 participants were included to estimate the pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia. The studies were conducted in the different parts of Ethiopia: Nationwide,7 36 Oromia Region,51 Amhara Region,16 48 49 52–60 Tigray Region,61 Southern Nation Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR),62–66 Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz Regions,50 Addis Ababa City Administration8 67 68 and unspecified (ie, area) school-based study 47. All of the studies were published.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2022

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Blindness is defined as presenting visual acuity worse than 3/60 in the better eye. Its highest proportion has been conforming to the developing countries such as Ethiopia. So, timely information is crucial to design strategies. However, the study on the magnitude of blindness in Ethiopia was outdated which means it was conducted in 2005–2006. Therefore, this study was proposed to estimate the pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia.Databases like PubMed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar and references of retrieved articles were used to search for articles. A standard data extraction approach was employed and presented using Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of studies. Analysis held using STATA V.11. The funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were applied to check for the potential sources of bias. Heterogeneity among the studies was tested using I² statistics that have been calculated and compared with the standard. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were done to identify the potential sources of heterogeneity. Estimation of blindness was carried out using Duval and Twee die’s trim and fill analysis. The pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia is found to be 1.18% (95% CI 0.650% to 1.706%). Blindness is among the main public health difficulties in Ethiopia. So, it demands up-to-date strategies and its implementation, preventive and curative eye care service with affordable and accessible interventions, and evidence-based advocacy. The trial Registration Number is CRD42021268448.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2022

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“…In this meta-analysis, a total of 7,647 children were included to estimate the pooled prevalence of visual impairment. The 9 studies were conducted in different regions of the country: most of the studies were conducted in Amhara region and Addis Ababa [ 1 , 2 , 23 – 26 ], Tigray [ 9 ], Southern Nations, Nationalities and peoples’ region (SNNPR) [ 10 , 27 ]. The lowest and highest prevalence of visual impairment among children in Ethiopia was 4.4% [ 24 ] and 12.4%) [ 9 ] respectively.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among children in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2022

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Introduction Visual impairment is a major public health problem in developing countries where there is no enough health-care service. It has a significant impact on the affected child’s psychological, educational and socioeconomic experiences, during childhood and beyond. Therefore, the aim of this review was to estimate the pooled prevalence of visual impairment and its associated factors among children in Ethiopia. Method This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed based on the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant published articles in Ethiopia from 2011–2021 were searched in PubMed/Medline, HINARI, Google scholar, and conference paper and thesis or research final reports were accessed from Ethiopian Universities’ repositories. Data was extracted in Microsoft excel by using JBI data extraction checklist. The pooled prevalence and odds ratio of associated factors with their 95% CI was computed by using STATA 14/SE software. A fixed effect meta-analysis model was employed for a Cochrane Q test statistic and I2 test showed there was no heterogeneity in the included studies. Result A total of 7,647 children from nine studies were included in this study. The overall prevalence of visual impairment among children in Ethiopia was 7% (95% CI: 6, 7%). The pooled prevalence of visual impairment by region was almost similar in Ethiopia. However, there was no significant association between the identified factors and visual impairment among children. But the result showed that being males (AOR 0.642, 95% CI: 0.357–1.156), Children in the age of 10–13 years (AOR 0.224, 95% CI: 0.046–1.102) and 14–18 years (AOR 0.508, 95% CI: 0.102–2.534) were found to be less likely to have visual impairment. On the other hand, children of parents with visual impairment (AOR 1.820, 95% CI: 0.381–8.698) more likely to have visual impairment. Conclusion Visual impairment among children in Ethiopia is still a public health problem one year later to VISION 2020, a global initiative aimed to eliminate avoidable blindness. All most one out of fourteen children in Ethiopia had visual impairment. Therefore, the government of Ethiopia should focus on effective, efficient, comprehensive eye health care services by integrating with the national health system to prevent avoidable visual impairment among children.

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“…[ 8 ] Few other studies, including a cluster randomized controlled Kenya, found that the App is an efficient tool for school screening purposes also. [ 9 10 11 12 ] The App was showed promising results when used by non-ophthalmic staff in emergency department. [ 13 ] Similarly, PEEK App was also tested amidst the Chinese and Australian population revealing promising results.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, there an increasing number of ophthalmic Apps dedicated to general public and non-eyecare professionals. [ 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ] Therefore, it is also the responsibility of HCPs to guide patients to choose a suitable App. The purpose of this study was to provide an updated overview of all Apps exclusive to ophthalmology available in the market as of March 2020.…”

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confidence: 99%

Smartphone applications in ophthalmology

Aruljyothi

Janakiraman

Malligarjun

et al. 2021

Indian Journal of Ophthalmology

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Purpose: There is limited information in literature about the scope and usability of Smartphone Applications (Apps) in ophthalmology. Eye care professionals are therefore skeptical about the benefits of smartphone Apps and are reluctant to adopt it in their day to day practice. The purpose of this study was to provide an updated overview of all Apps exclusive to ophthalmology. Methods: This study was a quantitative analysis of Smartphone Apps exclusively designed for ophthalmic care. The Apple iPhone and Google play store were searched for eye care themed Apps. Any App related to eye treatment and management such as visual acuity screening, eye education, calculators, eBooks, Low Vision Aids were included in the study. Data on the purpose of the Apps, target end-users, validation, App usage, user ratings, and App developer qualifications were documented. Results: As of March 2020, a total of 131 Apps exclusively dedicated for eye care were identified. 53% (69/131) were available in iPhones, 44% (58/131) in Android smartphones, and 3% in both. 32% (41/131) Apps were designed for visual acuity (VA) screening, 13% (17/131) for eye relaxation exercises, 12% (15/131) for professional education, and the remaining for Apps detecting color blindness, low vision aids, and assistance and patient education. Among the 131 Apps, 6 (4.5%) Apps are claimed by the developers as validated. Conclusion: This study unveils a wide range of smartphone Apps exclusive to ophthalmology and suggests guidelines to choose an appropriate App. The study also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the design, development, and validation of such Apps.

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Prevalence and causes of visual impairment among schoolchildren in Mekelle, Ethiopia

Cited by 13 publications

References 26 publications

Pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among children in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Smartphone applications in ophthalmology

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