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Fulltext Profile of low vision children in the special education schools in Malaysia

Omar R, Mohammed Z, Knight VF, Basrul MH

Med J Malaysia, 2009 Dec;64(4):289-93.
PMID: 20954552

This study looked at the causes of vision loss, levels of distance, near vision and the use of low vision devices (LVDs) in children studying at special schools in Malaysia. A total of 139 children from two special education schools took part. Visual acuity was measured with and without LVDs. Those who required further assessment were referred to Low Vision Clinic. Near visual acuity in 71 children ranged from N4 to N64. Sixty eight children could not read the N64 chart or they were totally blind. Only eight students were using LVDs before intervention. Seventy one children were referred for low vision assessment and 48 were found to benefit from the LVDs prescribed. The major cause of visual impairment was cataract (17%). Hand held magnifier was the most preferred LVD. Majority of the children attending the blind schools had residual vision but did not have LVDs. LVDs are able to significantly improve near visual acuity and hence there is a need to prescribe and train the children to use the LVDs.

Matched MeSH terms: Vision, Low/epidemiology*
Independent impact of area-level socioeconomic measures on visual impairment

Zheng Y, Lamoureux E, Finkelstein E, Wu R, Lavanya R, Chua D, et al.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2011;52(12):8799-805.
PMID: 21969296 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.11-7700

It is known that a person's socioeconomic status (SES; individual-level SES) is closely correlated with his or her degree of visual impairment. Whether there is an independent relationship between area-level measures of SES (e.g., living in a lower SES environment) and visual impairment is unclear. This study describes the associations of area-level SES with visual impairment.

Matched MeSH terms: Vision, Low/epidemiology*
Prevalence of refractive error in malay primary school children in suburban area of Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Hashim SE, Tan HK, Wan-Hazabbah WH, Ibrahim M

Ann Acad Med Singap, 2008 Nov;37(11):940-6.
PMID: 19082201

INTRODUCTION: Refractive error remains one of the primary causes of visual impairment in children worldwide, and the prevalence of refractive error varies widely. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of refractive error and study the possible associated factors inducing refractive error among primary school children of Malay ethnicity in the suburban area of Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was performed from January to July 2006 by random selection on Standard 1 to Standard 6 students of 10 primary schools in the Kota Bharu district. Visual acuity assessment was measured using logMAR ETDRS chart. Positive predictive value of uncorrected visual acuity equal or worse than 20/40, was used as a cut-off point for further evaluation by automated refraction and retinoscopic refraction.
RESULTS: A total of 840 students were enumerated but only 705 were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected visual impairment was seen in 54 (7.7%) children. The main cause of the uncorrected visual impairment was refractive error which contributed to 90.7% of the total, and with 7.0% prevalence for the studied population. Myopia is the most common type of refractive error among children aged 6 to 12 years with prevalence of 5.4%, followed by hyperopia at 1.0% and astigmatism at 0.6%. A significant positive correlation was noted between myopia development with increasing age (P <0.005), more hours spent on reading books (P <0.005) and background history of siblings with glasses (P <0.005) and whose parents are of higher educational level (P <0.005). Malays in suburban Kelantan (5.4%) have the lowest prevalence of myopia compared with Malays in the metropolitan cities of Kuala Lumpur (9.2%) and Singapore (22.1%).
CONCLUSION: The ethnicity-specific prevalence rate of myopia was the lowest among Malays in Kota Bharu, followed by Kuala Lumpur, and is the highest among Singaporean Malays. Better socio-economic factors could have contributed to higher myopia rates in the cities, since the genetic background of these ethnic Malays are similar.

Matched MeSH terms: Vision, Low/epidemiology
Prevalence and causes of functional low vision in school-age children: results from standardized population surveys in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

Gilbert CE, Ellwein LB, Refractive Error Study in Children Study Group

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2008 Mar;49(3):877-81.
PMID: 18326706 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.07-0973

Data on the prevalence and causes of functional low vision (FLV) in adults and children are lacking but are important for planning low-vision services. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and causes of FLV among children recruited in eight population-based prevalence surveys of visual impairment and refractive error from six countries (India [2 locations]; China [2 locations]; Malaysia, Chile, Nepal, and South Africa).

Matched MeSH terms: Vision, Low/epidemiology*
Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: results from the National Eye Survey 1996

Zainal M, Ismail SM, Ropilah AR, Elias H, Arumugam G, Alias D, et al.

Br J Ophthalmol, 2002 Sep;86(9):951-6.
PMID: 12185113

BACKGROUND: A national eye survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision and their major causes among the Malaysian population of all ages.
METHODS: A stratified two stage cluster sampling design was used to randomly select primary and secondary sampling units. Interviews, visual acuity tests, and eye examinations on all individuals in the sampled households were performed. Estimates were weighted by factors adjusting for selection probability, non-response, and sampling coverage.
RESULTS: The overall response rate was 69% (that is, living quarters response rate was 72.8% and household response rate was 95.1%). The age adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision was 0.29% (95% CI 0.19 to 0.39%), and 2.44% (95% CI 2.18 to 2.69%) respectively. Females had a higher age adjusted prevalence of low vision compared to males. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bilateral low vision and blindness among the four ethnic groups, and urban and rural residents. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39%) followed by retinal diseases (24%). Uncorrected refractive errors (48%) and cataract (36%) were the major causes of low vision.
CONCLUSION: Malaysia has blindness and visual impairment rates that are comparable with other countries in the South East Asia region. However, cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, though readily treatable, are still the leading causes of blindness, suggesting the need for an evaluation on accessibility and availability of eye care services and barriers to eye care utilisation in the country.

Matched MeSH terms: Vision, Low/epidemiology*