Vision screening of preschool children in Italy

Abstract

Vision screening of preschool children is designed and performed to identify those affected by amblyopia or related, predisposing visual defects. In order to determine the prevalence of preschool vision screening in Italy, a questionnaire was mailed to the 635 regional health offices in which the country's national health system was organized at the time of the study. Results of this survey demonstrated that in 61.3% of the regions which responded, some form of preschool vision screening is performed. However, individual, non-standardized methods are used by the physicians or health care professionals responsible in each regional program. It is evident from this study that standardized procedures for preschool vision testing are lacking in Italy, and that the existing European Community guidelines should be disseminated and applied on a greater scale for the development of such a program on the national and European level.

Change in vision disorders among Hong Kong preschoolers in 10 years

“…The advocation of preschool vision screening programmes has been supported by several articles published previously 2,3 . Multi‐ethnic and diverse studies on amblyopia 4–10 and vision screening 11,12 had been conducted, and these studies have highlighted different prevalence and causes. In Hong Kong, the prevalence of myopia has increased almost 10‐fold from 4.6% to 43.5% over 5 years in a previously published cohort study in children aged 2 to 6 13 .…”