Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 27, 2025
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Long-term visual and treatment outcomes of whole-population pre-school visual screening (PSVS) in children: a
Una O'Colmain1, Yan Ning Neo2, Claire Gilmour3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK. uocolmain@nhs.net.
Insights
The pre-school visual screening (PSVS) program effectively treats amblyopia, but children from disadvantaged backgrounds face challenges in attending and achieving optimal visual outcomes. Socioeconomic factors significantly impact treatment success and follow-up rates.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Reports on long-term visual and treatment outcomes of a population-wide, orthoptic-delivered pre-school visual screening (PSVS) program in Scotland.
- Examines associations between visual outcomes and socioeconomic status or home circumstances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the PSVS program in managing amblyopia.
- To identify socioeconomic and home-related factors influencing visual outcomes and treatment adherence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case review of 430 children who failed PSVS.
- Outcome measures included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), amblyopia severity, and binocular vision (BV).
- Comparison of baseline and discharge parameters against socioeconomic deprivation (SIMD) and home circumstances (HPI) indices.
Main Results:
- Amblyopia reduced from 92.3% to 29.1% post-treatment (p < 0.001); good BV improved from 29.2% to 80% (p < 0.001).
- Children from deprived areas or adverse backgrounds were more likely to miss appointments or follow-up (OR 2.19-3.94).
- Worse home circumstances correlated with higher rates of residual amblyopia (OR 5.37) and poor/no BV (OR 3.41).
Conclusions:
- Orthoptic-delivered PSVS is effective in screening and managing childhood amblyopia.
- Children from socially disadvantaged homes exhibit poorer visual outcomes and are less likely to attend screening and follow-up appointments.
Background:
This study reports the long-term visual and treatment outcomes in a whole-population, orthoptic-delivered pre-school visual screening (PSVS) programme in Scotland and further examines their associations with socioeconomic backgrounds and home circumstances.
Methods:
Retrospective case review was conducted on 430 children who failed PSVS. Outcome measures included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), severity of amblyopia (mild, moderate and severe), binocular vision (BV) (normal, poor and none), ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment modalities. Parameters at discharge were compared to those at baseline and were measured against the Scottish index of multiple deprivation (SIMD) and Health plan indicator (HPI), which are indices of deprivation and status of home circumstances.
Results:
The proportion of children with amblyopia reduced from 92.3% (373/404) at baseline to 29.1% (106/364) at discharge (p < 0.001). Eighty percent (291/364) had good BV at discharge compared to 29.2% (118/404) at baseline (p < 0.001). Children from more socioeconomically deprived areas (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.01-4.30, p = 0.003) or adverse family backgrounds (OR 3.94, 95% CI 1.99-7.74, p = 0.002) were more likely to attend poorly and/or become lost to follow-up. Children from worse home circumstances were five times more likely to have residual amblyopia (OR 5.37, 95% CI 3.29-10.07, p < 0.001) and three times more likely to have poor/no BV (OR 3.41, 95% CI 2.49-4.66, p < 0.001) than those from better home circumstances.
Conclusions:
Orthoptic-delivered PSVS is successful at screening and managing amblyopia. Children from homes requiring social care input are less likely to attend and are more likely to have poorer visual outcomes.
