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Student-led screening of school children for refractive error correction
Dipesh Bhattarai1,2, Subodh Gnyawali2, Arpan Silwal2
1a Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation & School of Optometry and Vision Science , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia.
Ophthalmic Epidemiology
|September 23, 2017
Summary
Trained high school students can effectively screen children for visual impairment. This approach offers a viable solution for early detection of vision problems in resource-limited settings.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Pediatric Optometry
Background:
- Nepal faces a significant challenge in addressing uncorrected refractive errors in millions of children due to a shortage of eye-care professionals.
- The VISION 2020 initiative in Nepal recommended exploring alternative human resources for child vision screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of vision screening conducted by trained high school students compared to optometrist assessments.
- To determine the validity of using trained students as an alternative resource for identifying visual impairment in school children.
Main Methods:
- 150 high school students were trained by optometrists over two days to screen peer visual acuity.
- A sample of 1,209 students was re-examined by optometrists to serve as the gold standard.
- Validity metrics including sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the students' screening results.
Main Results:
- The vision screening performed by trained students demonstrated a sensitivity of 81.7% and a specificity of 97.6%.
- The positive predictive value was 77.3%, and the negative predictive value was 98.2%.
Conclusions:
- Vision screening by trained students is an effective method for identifying visual acuity issues in school children.
- This strategy is particularly valuable for countries with limited eye-care infrastructure, enabling timely detection of vision problems.
