Visual Impairment and Eye Disease Among Children of Migrant Farmworkers

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of reduced visual acuity and ocular disease in the children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia. Methods: A retrospective chart review of data acquired by a vision screening was performed on 156 Haitian and Hispanic children of migrant farmworkers attending a summer school in Georgia. Reduced visual acuity at presentation was analyzed and stratified by ethnicity, type of ocular disease, and immediate resolution with refractive correction. Results: The authors found that 20% of migrant farmworker children have a high prevalence of reduced visual acuity in the worse eye. Of those with worse-eye reduced visual acuity, 83% had uncorrected refractive error. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error from astigmatism and high astigmatism was significantly higher among Hispanics than Haitians. The prevalence of amblyopia suspects among migrant farmworker children was 3%. Of the amblyopia suspects, 80% were anisometropic. Conclusions: Children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia have a higher rate of reduced visual acuity, largely from uncorrected refractive error, when compared to other Hispanic and African American children in the United States with a prevalence more aligned to children in Asian and Latin American countries than school children in the United States. This illustrates the need for improved access to screening and care in this vulnerable population. [ J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus . 2019;56(1):28–34.]

Visual impairments among immigrants living in Northeast Turkey and their ocular finding differences compared to the local population

“…11,12 There are publications showing that the children of immigrant individuals have a higher rate of refractive errors such as myopia. 13,14 The main reason for this situation may be the change in the environment they live in and the intense education program to adapt to the country they live in. 14 In this retrospective study, it was aimed to evaluate the existing eye pathologies of immigrant patients who presented to the ophthalmology clinic due to visual impairment and to compare them with the local population.…”