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Causes and associations of amblyopia in a population-based sample of 6-year-old Australian children
Dana Robaei1, Kathryn A Rose, Elvis Ojaimi
1Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
This study found a low prevalence of amblyopia in 6-year-old Australian children, with most cases already diagnosed and treated. Key associated factors included strabismus and anisometropia.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Public Health
Background:
- Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' is a leading cause of preventable vision impairment in children.
- Early detection and intervention are crucial for effective amblyopia treatment.
- Understanding the prevalence and associated factors in specific populations is vital for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of amblyopia among 6-year-old children in Australia.
- To identify factors associated with amblyopia in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A population-based sample of 1741 schoolchildren aged 6 years was recruited.
- Visual acuity (VA) was measured using logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) before and after correction.
- Amblyopia was defined based on best-corrected VA, excluding significant pathological abnormalities.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of amblyopia was 0.7% (13 children) using strict criteria, rising to 1.8% (32 children) when including previously treated cases.
- Associated factors included strabismus (37.5%), anisometropia (34.4%), or both (18.8%).
- Most amblyopic eyes exhibited significant hyperopia (58.7%) and reduced best-corrected VA.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of amblyopia in this Australian cohort of 6-year-olds is relatively low.
- A significant proportion of children with amblyopia had a history of diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the importance of ongoing management.
Objectives:
To describe the prevalence of amblyopia and associated factors in a representative sample of 6-year-old Australian children.
Methods:
Logarithm of minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (VA) was measured in both eyes before and after pinhole correction, correcting cylindrical refractive components greater than 0.50 diopter (D), and with spectacles (if worn) in a population-based sample of 1741 schoolchildren. Retinal pathological abnormalities were excluded based on photographs. Amblyopia was defined using various best-available corrected VA measures in the absence of significant organic pathological abnormalities.
Results:
Using the criteria of corrected VA less than 20/40 and at least a 2-line difference between eyes, amblyopia was diagnosed in 13 children (0.7%). The inclusion of children with amblyopia who had been successfully treated (n = 19) increased the amblyopia prevalence to 1.8%. Strabismus or strabismus surgery history was present in 37.5% of the children with amblyopia, anisometropia in 34.4%, both conditions in 18.8%, and isoametropia in 6.3%. Mean corrected VA in amblyopic eyes was 37.7 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution letters (Snellen VA equivalent < 20/40), ranging from 0 to 48 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution letters (Snellen VA equivalent < 20/200-20/25). Most amblyopic eyes (58.7%) were significantly hyperopic (spherical equivalent > or = +3.00 D); 8.7% were myopic.
Conclusions:
A relatively low prevalence of amblyopia in a sample of 6-year-old children is documented. The majority of these children had already been diagnosed and treated for this condition.
