SynthesisJournal of optometry
Prevalence of refractive errors among school students in Iraq - A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of optometry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Understanding the link between ocular shape and myopia: a systematic review.BMJ open ophthalmology · 2026Pooled it
- Epidemiology of refractive errors and its associated factors among medical students.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Vision-Related Quality of Life in Iraqi Keratoconus Patients: A Comparative Analysis of Surgical and Nonsurgical Interventions.Korean journal of ophthalmology : KJO · 2026Article
- Distribution of refractive errors and horizontal concomitant strabismus in Iraqi children.PloS one · 2026Article
- Comparative clinical outcomes of SMILE, femtosecond LASIK, and transepithelial PRK: a multicenter Iraqi study.Frontiers in ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Refractive Errors and Vision Problems in Autistic Children: Insights into Parental Awareness in Iraq.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2025Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of myopia and axial length-related visual impairment in children and adolescents aged 4-18 years.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Correlation between refractive errors and ocular biometric parameters at Al-Mustaqbal University, Iraq.BMC ophthalmology · 2025Article
- Prevalence of dry eye symptoms and associated risk factors among students at Al-Mustaqbal University, Iraq.PloS one · 2025Article
- Factors associated with the prevalence of refractive errors among medical students in the United Arab Emirates.F1000Research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThis research aimed to thoroughly examine and meta-analyse statistical information about the prevalence of refractive error in Iraq.
methodsTo discover every pertinent Iraqi epidemiological study from March 2014 to March 2024, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched and reviewed. The Iraqi refractive error rate was interesting. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software received unprocessed events and sample sizes for effect size calculations.
resultsA meta-analysis was undertaken by pooling data from 10 studies. The fixed effects model indicates an estimated effect size of 29.8% (95% CI: 28.6-30.9%). However, the statistical measures of heterogeneity (Q-value p < 0.001; I2 = 98.707) showed significant heterogeneity among the studies, which indicates that a random-effects model should be used. The random effects model suggests that the prevalence of refractive error in the Iraqi population is predicted to be 27.6% (95% CI: 18.9-38.5%). The most common refractive defect was myopia, found in 35.1% of cases (95% CI: 24.9-46.8%). Astigmatism was the second most prevalent, affecting 32.2% (95% CI: 19.1-49.0%), followed by hyperopia in 23.9% (95% CI: 16.0-34.2%).
conclusionsCurrent estimate of refractive error prevalence in Iraq may be conservative of this condition's burden. Nevertheless, this corresponds to a minimum of 8 to 18 million individuals in Iraq who have a refractive error. Due to study variability, wide estimate ranges, and random effects, more research and reliable sources are needed to obtain more accurate results.
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Registered trials
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