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Vision screening outcomes of 4-5 year-olds reflect the social gradient
Neil Harris1, Elisha Roche1, Patricia Lee1
1School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Insights
Vision screenings in Queensland identified more vision abnormalities in children from disadvantaged areas. Further support is crucial to ensure these vulnerable children access necessary follow-up eye care services.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Optometry
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Vision impairments can negatively impact children's learning and life outcomes.
- Early detection through vision screening is vital for educational support and preventing worsening conditions.
- This study evaluates a vision screening program for preschool children in Queensland, Australia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the outcomes of a vision screening program for preschool children.
- To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and vision screening referral outcomes.
- To highlight the need for accessible follow-up eye care for disadvantaged children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 71,003 preschool children in Queensland.
- Vision screening utilized the Parr 4m Visual Acuity Test and Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener.
- Data analysis explored screening frequencies, referral outcomes, and associations with socioeconomic indexes for areas (SEIFA).
Main Results:
- 6.8% of screened children received a referral recommendation, with a higher proportion from disadvantaged areas.
- Of referred children, 43.3% were diagnosed with a vision abnormality, and 37.7% had an undetermined diagnosis.
- Children with confirmed vision abnormalities were disproportionately from more disadvantaged locations.
Conclusions:
- Vision screening programs must target disadvantaged populations.
- Support systems are essential to help families of children needing further assessment access eye care services.
- Clinical optometrists are well-positioned to provide essential vision care to vulnerable children.
Clinical Relevance:
Children in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often do not access follow-up eye care services when referred from vision screenings; whether this is due to lack of availability is not known. This paper highlights the need for vision and eye care for vulnerable children with practicing clinical optometrists well placed to provide vision care.
Background:
Vision impairments develop from a young age and may inhibit learning experiences and impact life outcomes. Vision screening to detect and refer vision abnormalities supports children in their education and prevents minor vision impairments from worsening. This research describes outcomes from a vision screening programme for 4- to 5-year-olds delivered in Queensland, Australia.
Methods:
The programme involved all prep children from participating schools in Queensland. Vision screening was conducted with the Parr 4 m Visual Acuity Test and Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener. A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Descriptive data analyses explored the frequency of vision screening and referral outcomes. Inferential analyses examined associations between vision screening and referral outcomes with socio-economic indexes for areas (SEIFA) scores .
Results:
Of 71,003 prep students screened, 4,855 (6.8%) received a referral recommendation. A higher proportion of children who received a referral recommendation was from more disadvantaged locations (?2 = 109.16, p < 0.001). Of the students referred, 3,017 were seen by an eye health professional. Further vision assessment of students by an eye health professional revealed that 43.3% of the referred children were diagnosed with a vision abnormality, 18.9% had no vision abnormality and 37.7% had an 'undetermined' diagnosis. A higher proportion of children confirmed with a vision abnormality were from more disadvantaged locations (?2 = 52.27, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
It is important that vision screening programmes target disadvantaged populations and support families of children who require further health assessment to access health services.
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