Survey of school children with visual impairment in Bradford

This work was presented as a poster at the Institute of Health Research Conference 2000: Health of Children and Young People: Research Perspectives. University of Bradford 15th of September 2000.

The aim of this survey was to determine the prevalence and aetiology of visual impairment in school children in Bradford.

The case notes of school children with predominantly uncomplicated visual impairment were reviewed. Data including age, sex, race and information on visual diagnosis, heredity, degree of visual impairment and additional morbidity were collected.

Seventy-two children between the ages of 5 and 16 years were included in this survey. The male: female ratio was 2.1: 1. Twenty-one children were Caucasian, 42 were of Pakistani and nine of other racial origin. The most common diagnoses were congenital nystagmus (19), ocular albinism (6), myopia (4), cataract (4) and microphthalmia (4). Twenty-five children had a genetically linked visual diagnosis and 31 had a family history of the same visual disorder.

This survey showed similar causes of visual impairment as described in other studies on children with uncomplicated visual impairment and confirmed the previously described preponderance of boys. The proportion of Pakistani children in our study population was significantly higher than that in the general Bradford population, indicating a higher prevalence of visual impairment in this group. Children of Pakistani origin were significantly more likely to have genetically linked visual disease and a positive family history of the same visual disorder than children of Caucasian origin. This is probably due to genetic factors and a higher proportion of consanguineous marriages in this population. Information about the prevalence and causes of visual impairment is important for adequate provision of special services and for developing preventive strategies.