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The prevalence and causes of pediatric uncorrected refractive error: Pooled data from population studies for Global

He Cao1, Xiang Cao2, Zhi Cao3

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.

Plos One
|July 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals significant variations in the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) among children globally. Myopia and astigmatism are the primary causes, highlighting the need for widespread vision correction initiatives.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Limited systematic reviews exist on the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) in pediatric populations.
  • This study addresses the gap by summarizing URE prevalence and causes in children across Global Burden of Disease (GBD) sub-regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and pool data on the prevalence and causes of pediatric uncorrected refractive error (URE).
  • To analyze URE prevalence across different Global Burden of Disease (GBD) sub-regions, age groups, and genders.

Main Methods:

  • Pooled analysis of individual participant data from population-based studies worldwide, including over 302 million individuals.
  • Defined URE as presenting visual acuity < 6/18, with main causes including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
  • Age and gender standardized prevalence rates to the 2020 world population.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of URE varied significantly by age, gender, and GBD sub-region.
  • Reported age- and region-standardized URE prevalence rates per 1000: Western Pacific (3.41), South-East Asia (2.26), Americans (5.85), and Eastern Mediterranean (4.40).
  • Myopia was the leading cause in 12-17-year-old females (18.2 per 1000), and astigmatism in 6-11-year-old males (27.2 per 1000).

Conclusions:

  • Disparities in URE prevalence data exist across GBD sub-regions.
  • Myopia and astigmatism remain the leading causes of URE in young children globally.
  • Providing refractive correction is a critical public health endeavor to improve children's safety and quality of life.
Abstract

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