Seeing Is Believing: Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Eyeglasses on Academic Performance, Aspirations, and Dropout among Junior High School Students in Rural China

Nie, Jianhui; Pang, Xiaopeng; Wang, Lei; Rozelle, Scott; Sylvia, Sean

doi:10.1086/700631

Cited by 29 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The overall implication of the study, similar to the findings in studies of primary school and lower secondary school, 2,3,5 is that systematic implementation of vision care programmes is needed in rural Chinese schools, including upper secondary schools. There is a need to more clearly identify which students exhibit poor vision, as well as a need for programmes that provide spectacles or encourage spectacles wear among affected students.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…2 Among 13-to 15-year-old students in lower secondary school, half (50.4%) of all students reportedly exhibit visual impairment. 3 Other studies have shown similarly high rates of myopia among children in rural China. 4,5 Children with poor vision experience academic difficulty, such that poor vision is significantly negatively correlated with academic performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…In two recent randomised controlled trials in China, students who were provided free spectacles demonstrated statistically significant improvement in academic performance. 3,5 Although spectacles enable non-invasive, inexpensive treatment of myopia, a significant proportion of rural Chinese children who need spectacles do not own them. 6 In a sample of 18 915 students in grades 4 to 6 in rural Gansu Province, >97% of near-sighted students did not own spectacles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…11 The primary determinant of whether a student attends an AUSS or a VUSS is that student's performance on an entrance exam. Given that uncorrected vision in primary and middle school can lead to reduced academic performance, 3,7 students without spectacles or with incorrect prescriptions may be attending VUSSs at higher rates than are consistent with their abilities. There may also exist a feedback mechanism between the skills VUSS students are likely to learn and the rates of spectacles ownership, as well as the quality of spectacles, among these students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual impairment and spectacles ownership among upper secondary school students in northwestern China

Jing

Guan

et al. 2020

Hong Kong Med J

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To assess the prevalence of visual impairment and spectacles ownership among academic and vocational upper secondary school students in rural China. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5583 students from four academic upper secondary schools (AUSSs) and two vocational upper secondary schools (VUSSs) in Mei and Qianyang counties, Baoji Prefecture, Shaanxi Province. In March and April 2016, students underwent assessment of visual acuity (VA) and completed a questionnaire regarding spectacles use and family characteristics. Students with visual impairment (presenting VA ≤6/12 in the better eye) and students needing spectacles (uncorrected VA ≤6/12 in the better eye, which could be improved to >6/12 with refraction) were identified. Results: Among 5583 students (54% boys, mean age 16.4±1.0 years) in grades 10 and grade 11 attending AUSSs (n=4549) and VUSSs (n=1034), visual impairment was detected in 4026 students. Among the AUSS students, 3425 (75%) needed spectacles; 2551 (75%) had them. Among the VUSS students, 601 (58%) needed spectacles; this proportion was significantly smaller (P=0.004), as was the proportion who had spectacles (n=212, 35%, P<0.001), compared with the AUSS students. Multivariate analysis showed that ownership of spectacles among children who needed them was associated with worse uncorrected VA (P<0.001),

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual impairment and spectacles ownership among upper secondary school students in northwestern China

Jing

Guan

et al. 2020

Hong Kong Med J

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“…Parents have reported school-based interventions are important to support glasses wear in young children, but it is unclear if this would be effective. Research in China and the US have shown provision of glasses to schools is more effective than provision of prescriptions to parents in improving children's vision, and is associated with better educational outcomes (Collins et al, 2016;Glewwe, West, & Lee, 2018;Nie, Pang, Sylvia, Wang, & Rozelle, 2018). Research suggests that the implemented intervention frequently differs from the intervention as designed.…”

Section: Intervention Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Glasses in classes: A cluster-randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention to improve academic, social and emotional learning, visual acuity, and adherence to glasses wear in young children in a disadvantaged multi-ethnic community

Corcoran¹

2020

http://isrctn.com/

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Approaches for delivery of refractive and optical care services in community and primary care settings

Umaefulam,

Safi,

Lingham

et al. 2024

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

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Background Uncorrected refractive error is a leading cause of vision impairment which, in most cases, can be managed with the appropriate spectacle correction. In 2021, the World Health Assembly endorsed a global target of a 40‐percentage‐point increase in effective coverage of refractive error by 2030. To achieve this global target, equitable access to refractive and optical services within community and primary care settings needs to be strengthened. This review will inform the development of technical guidance to support improvements in the testing and correction of refractive error among World Health Organization (WHO) member states. Objectives To determine the range of approaches for delivery of refractive and optical care services in community and primary care settings, and the methods employed for their evaluation. Search methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health databases, grey literature, and annual reports and websites of relevant organizations involved in eye‐care delivery from January 2002 to November 2022 to identify approaches for refractive and optical service delivery. Selection criteria We included observational and interventional studies, reviews, and reports from relevant organizations related to delivering refractive services and optical services for preschool and school‐aged children and adults in community and primary care settings published between January 2002 and November 2022. We searched for studies and reports published within the last 20 years because vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error has only recently become a public health and eye health priority, therefore we did not expect to find much relevant literature until after 2002. Data collection and analysis Two review authors screened titles, abstracts and full texts, and extracted data. We resolved any discrepancies through discussion. We synthesized data, and presented results as tables, figures, and case studies. This project was led by the World Health Organization (WHO) Vision and Eye Care Programme. Main results We identified 175 studies from searches of databases and grey literature, 146 records from company reports, and 81 records from website searches of relevant organizations that matched our inclusion criteria. Delivery approaches for refractive and optical services in community care included school‐based, pharmacy, and outreach models, whereas primary care approaches comprised vision centre, health centre, and a combination of vision or health centre and door‐to‐door delivery. In community care, school‐based and outreach approaches were predominant, while in primary care, a vision‐centre approach was mainly used. In the WHO African region, the school‐based and outreach approaches were mainly reported while, in the Americas, the outreach approach was mostly used. Very few approaches for service delivery were...

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Seeing Is Believing: Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Eyeglasses on Academic Performance, Aspirations, and Dropout among Junior High School Students in Rural China

Cited by 29 publications

References 18 publications

Visual impairment and spectacles ownership among upper secondary school students in northwestern China

Visual impairment and spectacles ownership among upper secondary school students in northwestern China

Glasses in classes: A cluster-randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention to improve academic, social and emotional learning, visual acuity, and adherence to glasses wear in young children in a disadvantaged multi-ethnic community

Approaches for delivery of refractive and optical care services in community and primary care settings

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