ArticleJournal of optometry
Prevalence of correctable visual impairment in primary school children in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia.
Article in Journal of optometry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.
- Estimating need and coverage for five priority assistive products: a systematic review of global population-based research.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- The prevalence of refractive errors in the Middle East: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International ophthalmology · 2020Pooled it
- Prevalence and Distribution of Axis Subtypes of Refractive Astigmatism in Mexican Outpatients: A Nationwide Multicenter Clinic-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Burden of ocular morbidities among school-going children in Central India.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2026Observational
- The Changing Natural History of Anisometropia: A Scoping Review.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026Article
- Refractive Error Patterns and the Impact of Cycloplegia in Ametropic Children and Adolescents in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia.Clinical optometry · 2026Article
- Prevalence of visual impairment and associated risk factors: a cross-sectional community-based study among children and adolescents in Ghana.Frontiers in ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Childhood visual impairment in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia prevalence causes and risk factors.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Prevalence, Causes, and Risk Factors Associated with Visual Impairment in Qbah, a Rural Community in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Prevalence of Refractive Errors Among School-Age Children and Adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Review
- Prescribing patterns for hyperopia: an insight of the optometrist perspective and practice.BMC ophthalmology · 2024Article
- Prevalence and Patterns of Refractive Error Among School-Age Children in Bisha, Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2023Article
- Prediction of refractive error and its progression: a machine learning-based algorithm.BMJ open ophthalmology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Myopia and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Children Attending a Tertiary Hospital in Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2023Article
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- Perspectives and clinical practices of optometrists in Saudi Arabia concerning myopia in children.International journal of ophthalmology · 2023Article
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- Visual status among undergraduate students: Findings from an emerging university in Saudi Arabia.Saudi journal of biological sciences · 2021Article
- A Serial Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Prevalence, Risk Factors and Geographic Variations of Reduced Visual Acuity in Primary and Secondary Students from 2000 to 2017 in Hong Kong.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe worldwide prevalence of refractive errors (RE), which is a common cause of treatable visual impairment among children, varies widely. We assessed the prevalence of correctable visual impairment (uncorrected RE) in primary school children in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 21 primary schools. A total of 5176 children (mean age 9.5±1.8 years), 2573 boys (49.7%) and 2603 girls (50.3%), underwent a comprehensive eye examination. The examinations consisted of visual acuity, autorefraction, cover test, ocular motility, pupillary evaluation, anterior segment examination, cycloplegic auto-refraction and dilated fundus examination with direct ophthalmoscopy. The children were divided into groups based on their age and gender.
resultsThe overall prevalence of RE in the better eye was 18.6% (n=963), and the prevalence of uncorrected RE 16.3% (n=846), with only 2.3% (n=127) of children wearing spectacles during examination. The prevalence of uncorrected myopia (5.8%) and myopic astigmatism (5.4%) was higher compared to that of hyperopic astigmatism (2.7%), mixed astigmatism (1.7%) and hyperopia (0.7%). The anisometropia prevalence was 3.6%. Risks for astigmatism, myopia and anisometropia were positively associated with age. In addition, myopia and anisometropia risks were also associated with female gender, while risk of astigmatism was correlated with male gender. Few children with vision reducing RE wore spectacles; an additional 16.3% of children could benefit from spectacle prescription.
conclusionThe prevalence of uncorrected RE in children is relatively high and represents an important public health problem in school-aged children in Qassim province. Performance of routine periodical vision screening throughout childhood may reverse this situation.
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