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The Impact of Hyperopia on Academic Performance Among Children: A Systematic Review
Sonia Mavi1, Ving Fai Chan1, Gianni Virgili1,2
1Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|January 23, 2022
Summary
Uncorrected hyperopia negatively impacts children's academic performance, particularly reading skills. Evidence suggests spectacle correction may improve reading speed, but more research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Hyperopia, a common refractive error, can affect visual acuity.
- Undiagnosed or uncorrected hyperopia may present challenges for children in academic settings.
- The relationship between visual health and academic achievement is a critical area of study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the impact of uncorrected hyperopia and hyperopic spectacle correction on children's academic performance.
- To quantify the association between hyperopia and various academic outcomes.
- To identify research gaps regarding the efficacy of hyperopic correction.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 studies (21 observational, 4 interventional) identified through extensive database searches.
- Random-effects models were used to estimate pooled effect sizes for cognitive skills, educational performance, reading skills, and reading speed.
- Studies were assessed for quality, with no restrictions on language, date, or location.
Main Results:
- Uncorrected hyperopia was associated with small but significant adverse effects on educational performance (SMD -0.18) and moderate negative effects on reading skills (SMD -0.46) compared to emmetropia.
- Reading skills were significantly worse in hyperopic children compared to myopic children (SMD -0.29).
- Qualitative analysis of excluded studies supported a link between uncorrected hyperopia and impaired academic performance; spectacle correction showed potential to improve reading speed.
Conclusions:
- Uncorrected hyperopia is linked to poorer academic performance in children.
- Current research has limitations, necessitating further investigation into the effects of hyperopic spectacle correction on academic outcomes.
- Addressing uncorrected hyperopia is important for supporting children's educational development.
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