Vision screening in children entering school: Eskisehir, Turkey

To report vision screening results among school children in Eskisehir, Turkey.

Vision screening was performed in 7- to 8-year-old school children in November and December 2011. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessment, cover test, and autorefractometer measurement under cycloplegia were performed. Spherical equivalent ≤-0.50 diopters (D) was considered to be myopic, while spherical equivalent >0.75 D was considered to be hypermetropic. Astigmatism was defined as a cylinder power ≥0.75 D. Regression analysis was used to determine the likelihood of having BCVA ≤0.8 Snellen (versus having BCVA >0.8 Snellen) in the presence of independent variables.

A total of 709 children were included. The prevalence rates of myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism were 22.6%, 10.6%, and 11.0%, respectively. Overall, 145 children (20.4%) needed spectacles, but only 65 of these were wearing them. The prevalence of children who required spectacles for myopia ≤-3.00 D and spectacles for hypermetropia ≥3.00 D were 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively. The prevalence of BCVA ≤ 0.8 Snellen was 56/709 (7.9%). In 39/709 (5.5%) of children, amblyopia was present; strabismus (14/56), isometropia (14/56), and anisometropia (11/56) were the etiologies. Strabismus was diagnosed in 18 children (2.5%). Anisometropia, strabismus, hypermetropia, and astigmatism were associated with BCVA ≤ 0.8 Snellen (odds ratio, OR, 6.32, 39.18, 5.47, 5.17, respectively; p = 0.0001 for all ORs).

Myopia and amblyopia rates in Eskisehir were high among school children. The need for a national large-scale vision screening program for children that includes diverse regions of Turkey is apparent.