Prevalence of Prescription Glasses in the First-Grade Thai Students (7–8 Years Old)

Abstract

Purpose To study the prevalence of the prescription glasses given to first-grade students due to the “Good Sight for Thai Children” (GSTC) policy. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that examined all prescription glasses given to first-grade students throughout Thailand, after visual screening due to the GSTC policy between 2016 and 2017. Trained class teachers screened their students’ visual acuity and referred children who had less than 20/40 visual acuity in either eye to a hospital for an eye examination and prescription glasses. Results A total of 786,729 students were screened. Of these, 20,401 (2.59%) students were referred to hospital. However, only 9867 (48.37%) students presented to a hospital. Glasses were prescribed for 5324 (53.96%) students following cycloplegic refraction by ophthalmologists or trained refractionists. The mean spherical equivalent was −1.08 (−19.00 to +10.00, SD 2.32) diopters. There were 1626 (30.54%) children at amblyopic risk without glasses. A 5.49% had high myopia (< −6 diopters), 5.22% had high hyperopia (> +5 diopters) and 27.82% had high astigmatism (>2 diopters). A cylindrical lens analysis showed that 81.53% had with-the-rule astigmatism, 4.07% had against-the-rule astigmatism, and 14.40% had oblique astigmatism. Conclusion Although the reliable prevalence of refractive error cannot be estimated, the prevalence of visual impairment may be estimated. There were a number of students who required glasses. The astigmatism was the most common refractive error on prescription glasses for first-grade children. With-the-rule astigmatism was the most prevalent. The visual screening program of school children proved to be valuable and should be continued and developed.

Screening of Hearing and Vision Impairment in Primary School Children in Relation to Grade and Sex

“…Out of the 9867 students who were sent for a second screening in Thailand, 53.96% (27) were supposed to wear glasses.…”

“…Our research shows half this prevalence of hearing impairment among students. On the basis of data from a study in South Africa in students from 1 st to 3 rd grades, the prevalence of hearing loss was 2.2% (31), while in Karachi (Pakistan) 13.6% of students had hearing loss (27). In the municipality of Jajce, out of the total number of students with a positive result from the hearing screening test, more than half were boys, while there were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of hearing impairment between boys (14.1%) and girls (13.0%) in the aforementioned study (32).…”