ArticlePloS one2020
Visual impairment and refractive error in school children in Bhutan: The findings from the Bhutan School Sight Survey (BSSS 2019).
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Approaches for delivery of refractive and optical care services in community and primary care settings.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Human resources, infrastructure, and supply systems for refractive error care in Bhutan: A WHO RESAT analysis.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Refractive error among school-aged children in Bhutan: A secondary analysis of data from nationwide Bhutan School Sight Survey.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Effective refractive error coverage and quality gaps in Bhutan: evidence from rapid assessment of refractive error.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Association Between Preoperative Negative Emotional States and Eye Movement During Photorefractive Keratectomy.Journal of ophthalmic & vision research · 2025Article
- Vision screening of school-aged children in Wuqia County: a cross-sectional study in western China.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Uncorrected refractive errors, visual impairment and need for spectacles among children and adolescents in eastern, China.PloS one · 2025Article
- Artificial intelligence enhanced ophthalmological screening in children: insights from a cohort study in Lubelskie Voivodeship.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among primary school children in Ambo Town, Ethiopia, 2021.SAGE open medicine · 2024Article
- A School Eye Health Rapid Assessment (SEHRA) planning tool: Module to survey the magnitude and nature of local needs.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Commentary: Screening the future generation: A path to better future.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2022Article
- Transepithelial Photorefractive Keratectomy Compared to Conventional Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of ophthalmology · 2022Review
- Survey on the Progression of Myopia in Children and Adolescents in Chongqing During COVID-19 Pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
- Primary eye care in Bhutan: achievements and challenges.Community eye health · 2021Article
- Amblyopia risk factors among pediatric patients in a hospital-based setting using photoscreening.PloS one · 2021Article
- Prevalence of Pediatric Cataract in Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of current ophthalmologyReview
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo estimate the nationwide prevalence of visual impairment and associated refractive error in school children in Bhutan.
methodsThe sample of this prospective cross-sectional national survey comprised of randomly selected classes in levels IV-IX (age 10 to 15 years) from schools throughout Bhutan. The examination included measurement of visual acuity (VA), evaluation of ocular motility, refraction under cycloplegia, examination of the external eye, media and fundus. The principal cause of impairment was determined for eyes with uncorrected VA ≤6/12. The main outcome measures were distance VA and cycloplegic refractive error.
resultsWith a sampling frame of 1967 class-based clusters from 190 schools, 160 classes in 103 schools were randomly selected; 4985 (98.5%) of 5060 enumerated children were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting, and best-corrected visual impairment (VA≤6/12) in the better eye was 14.5%, 12.8%, and 0.34%, respectively. Refractive error was the principal cause (94.2%) of impaired vision and 88% of children who could achieve VA ≥6/9 with best correction were without necessary spectacles. The prevalence of myopia (≤ -0.5 D) was 6.64% and was associated with female gender (P = 0.004), urban schooling (P = 0.002), and greater parental education (P<0.001). The prevalence of hyperopia (≥ +2.0 D) was 2.17% and was significantly associated with lower class-level (P = 0.033), and female gender (P = 0.025). The overall prevalence of astigmatism (≥ 0.75 D) was 9.75%.
conclusionsReduced vision because of uncorrected refractive error is a public health problem among school-age children in Bhutan. Effective school eye health strategies are needed to eliminate this easily treatable cause of visual impairment.
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