Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025
Author Spotlight: An Automated Method for Assessing Visual Acuity in Infants and Toddlers Using an Eye-Tracking System
Published on: March 17, 2023
Prevalence of Visual Impairment in Preschool Children in Southern China
Hongxi Wang1, Kunliang Qiu1, Shengjie Yin1
1Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, China.
Insights
This study found that 13.1% of preschool children in southern China have visual impairment. Early vision screening is crucial for detecting conditions like refractive errors and amblyopia in young children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Visual impairment in preschool children can lead to long-term developmental issues.
- Early detection and intervention are critical for managing childhood visual impairments.
- Prevalence data in southern China is limited, necessitating large-scale screening programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and distribution of visual impairment among preschool children in southern China.
- To identify common causes of visual impairment in this age group.
- To provide baseline data for public health initiatives and further research.
Main Methods:
- A vision screening program was conducted in Shantou City involving 7,880 preschool children aged 36-83 months.
- Visual acuity tests and non-cycloplegic refraction were performed.
- Visual impairment was defined using American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines based on uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and interocular difference (IOD).
Main Results:
- A total of 13.1% of children were identified with visual impairment.
- Reduced UCVA was found in 11.9% of children, and 5% had significant interocular difference.
- Uncorrected refractive error and amblyopia were primary causes; spectacle wear increased with age but decreased with higher IOD.
Conclusions:
- Large-scale school-based vision screening effectively identified visual impairment in preschool children in China.
- The study highlights the need for continued screening to address visual health in young populations.
- Further research is recommended to evaluate the long-term benefits of vision screening programs.
Purpose:
The goal of this study is to assess the prevalence and distribution of visual impairment in preschool children in southern China.
Methods:
Preschool children aged 36-83 months were enrolled in a vision screening program in Shantou City. Visual acuity test and non-cycloplegic refraction were conducted. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) guidelines, visual impairment was defined as uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) in either eye <20/50, 20/40, and 20/32 in children aged 36-47, 48-59, and 60-83 months, respectively, as well as an interocular difference (IOD) of ≥ two lines of UCVA.
Results:
The UCVA test was successfully performed on 7,880 children (94.6% of the enrolled population). A total of 938 (11.9%; 95% CI 11.2-12.6) children were found to have reduced UCVA in the worse eye, and 393 (5%; 95% CI 4.5-5.5) of the children had an IOD of two or more lines. Combining the reduced UCVA with the IOD criteria identified 1,032 (13.1%; 95% CI 12.4-13.8) children with visual impairment. UCVA in preschool children improves with age naturally and boys have slightly better age-adjusted UCVA than girls. Causes of reduced visual acuity included uncorrected refractive error, amblyopia, congenital cataract, and others. The cylindrical diopter in the right eye of children with reduced vison was higher than that of children with normal vision (1.19 ± 1.05 vs. 0.52 ± 0.49, P < 0.001). A total of 146 (1.9%, 95% CI 1.6-2.2) of the preschool children wore spectacles. The proportion of wearing spectacles increased with age (χ2 = 35.714, P < 0.001), but with IOD increasing by.1 logMAR, the odds of wearing spectacles decreased by 44.8%.
Conclusion:
This study provided data on the prevalence of visual impairment in preschool children in China by large-scale school-based vision screening. Further studies should be conducted to verify the benefit from vision screening.
