Adult ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Theory of Planned Behavior ; Vision Screening

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and status of refractive error among Chinese primary school children in a rural area in Pahang. Methods: This investigation entailed a cross-sectional retrospective study design involving case file analyses. The study site was a Chinese medium primary school in a rural locality within Bentong district. A total of 82 school children met the B40 classification and selection criteria; therefore, universal sampling was done. Analyses were done according to age group: Level 1 included ages 7 to 9 years, while Level 2 comprised 10- to 12-year-olds. Results: The mean age of the 82 Chinese school children was 9.72±1.5 years; the percentage of refractive errors found was 80.48%. A total of 53 (64.63%) children had myopia. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant difference (P=0.038) in the refractive error between age groups Level 1 and 2, but no significant difference (P=0.947) was observed in refractive error between genders. The chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test showed no significant association between the type of refractive error with gender (P>0.05) and age group (P=0.319). Conclusion Myopia was the most common type of refractive error among Chinese school children in a rural area in Pahang. Refractive error severity was influenced by age group but not by gender. Types of refractive error were not associated with age group and gender. Hence, it is recommended that Chinese school children in rural areas seek an annual vision screening or eye test.
Poverty Areas ; Refractive Errors ; Vision Screening

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Schools ; Students/statistics & numerical data* ; Vision Screening/methods* ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Methyl alcohol poisoning in mobile phone–manufacturing factories during 2015–2016 was caused by methyl alcohol use for cleaning in computerized numerical control (CNC) processes. To determine whether there were health complications in other workers involved in similar processes, the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute conducted a survey. METHODS: We established a national active surveillance system by collaborating with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and National Health Insurance Service. Employment and national health insurance data were used. Overall, 12,048 employees of major domestic mobile phone companies and CNC process dispatch workers were surveyed from 2016 to 2017. We investigated methyl alcohol poisoning by using the national health insurance data. Questionnaires were used to investigate diseases due to methyl alcohol poisoning. RESULTS: Overall, 24.9% of dispatched workers were employed in at least five companies, and 23.9% of dispatched workers had missing employment insurance history data. The prevalence of blindness including visual impairment, optic neuritis, visual disturbances, and alcohol toxicity in the study participants was higher than that reported in the national health insurance database (0.02%, 0.07%, 0.23%, and 0.03% versus 0.01%, 0.07%, 0.13%, and 0.01%, respectively, in 2015). Moreover, 430 suspicious workers were identified; 415 of these provided an address and phone number, of whom 48 responded (response rate, 11.6%). Among the 48 workers, 10 had diseases at the time of the survey, of whom 3 workers were believed to have diseases related to methyl alcohol exposure. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that active surveillance data can be used to assess health problems related to methyl alcohol poisoning in CNC processes and dispatch workers.
Academies and Institutes ; Blindness ; Cell Phones ; Employment ; Insurance ; Mass Screening ; Methanol ; National Health Programs ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Optic Neuritis ; Poisoning ; Prevalence ; Vision Disorders

Vision impairment when undetected early can affect the social and mental development of a child. Early detection of visual impairment can provide better prognosis and can be conducted through vision screening at pre-school. Vision screening performed using pre-school teachers would allow cost and time savings while providing greater access to perform this screening. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of vision screening conducted by pre-school teachers. A total of sixty pre-school teachers from KEMAS Tabika’s and Taska’s in the Klang Valley were randomly selected and divided into two groups i.e. a Study Group and a Control Group. The Study Group was given participative and handson vision screening training whereas the Control Group was only given brief verbal instructions on conducting the screening. Each of these pre-school teachers was asked to conduct vision screening on 15 pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old. Trained optometrists then repeated the vision screening on the same children. The results showed that there was a higher validity in the vision screening findings from the Study Group (sensitivity = 79%, specificity = 95%) compared to the Control Group (sensitivity = 26%, specificity = 95%). The level of agreement concurrence between the pre-school teachers in the Study Group and the optometrist was high for all tests (AC1 ≥ 0.89). In conclusion, the vision screening program conducted by pre-school teachers was effective but needed proper training for the screeners. This program is seen to be able to empower pre-school teachers using vison screening techniques to allow them to identify pre-school children with vision impairment who would then require further examination and management by an eye-care professional. This program would be able to reduce the prevalence of vision impairment among pre-school children in Malaysia in the long term.
Pre-schooler ; vision screening ; vision impairment ; early detection ; teachers

The visual system of newborn infants is not like that of adults. Both ocular and neural structures essential for vision will undergo anatomical and physiological changes as maturation process. The maturation of all visual systems occurs relatively rapidly in normal children. So, early examination of visual acuity is critical for normal visual funciton achievement. Visual acuity in preverbal children can be assessed using several techniques, such as fixation and following behavior under both monocular and binocular conditions, the optokinetic nystagmus technique, preferential looking, visual evoked potential, and recognition acuity using a vision chart. Most clinicians consider the standard technique of recognition acuity to be the gold standard for visual acuity assessments, 20/20 vision should be achieved by 7 years of age. Significant refractive error, a high degree of hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism may result in not only blurred vision, but also strabismus and amblyopia. Therefore, early vision screening is very valuable. Subjective and objective refractive techniques are standard for detecting significant refractive errors in children and are available under either non-cycloplegic or cycloplegic conditions. Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children and young adults, defining as a reduction of best-corrected visual acuity due to the interruption of normal visual development during the so-called sensitive period. If the problem is not identified until the sensitive period is complete, the vision loss is permanent. Visual impairment in childhood affects all aspects of the child's development. Earlier treatment is associated with better outcomes. Of course, patient compliance and parental support are the most important factors contributing to treatment success.
Adult ; Amblyopia ; Astigmatism ; Child ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Infant, Newborn ; Myopia ; Nystagmus, Optokinetic ; Parents ; Patient Compliance ; Refractive Errors ; Strabismus ; Telescopes ; Vision Disorders ; Vision Screening ; Visual Acuity* ; Young Adult

The visual system of newborn infants is not like that of adults. Both ocular and neural structures essential for vision will undergo anatomical and physiological changes as maturation process. The maturation of all visual systems occurs relatively rapidly in normal children. So, early examination of visual acuity is critical for normal visual funciton achievement. Visual acuity in preverbal children can be assessed using several techniques, such as fixation and following behavior under both monocular and binocular conditions, the optokinetic nystagmus technique, preferential looking, visual evoked potential, and recognition acuity using a vision chart. Most clinicians consider the standard technique of recognition acuity to be the gold standard for visual acuity assessments, 20/20 vision should be achieved by 7 years of age. Significant refractive error, a high degree of hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism may result in not only blurred vision, but also strabismus and amblyopia. Therefore, early vision screening is very valuable. Subjective and objective refractive techniques are standard for detecting significant refractive errors in children and are available under either non-cycloplegic or cycloplegic conditions. Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children and young adults, defining as a reduction of best-corrected visual acuity due to the interruption of normal visual development during the so-called sensitive period. If the problem is not identified until the sensitive period is complete, the vision loss is permanent. Visual impairment in childhood affects all aspects of the child's development. Earlier treatment is associated with better outcomes. Of course, patient compliance and parental support are the most important factors contributing to treatment success.
Adult ; Amblyopia ; Astigmatism ; Child ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Infant, Newborn ; Myopia ; Nystagmus, Optokinetic ; Parents ; Patient Compliance ; Refractive Errors ; Strabismus ; Telescopes ; Vision Disorders ; Vision Screening ; Visual Acuity* ; Young Adult

Management of diabetic complications has been a worldwide major global health issue for decades. Recent studies from many parts of the world indicate improvement in this area. However, it is unknown if such an improvement is being realized in Koreans. Although there is limited information regarding diabetic retinopathy management among Koreans, recent epidemiologic studies have indicated improved screening rates and less frequent visual impairment among type 2 diabetics. Moreover, results achieved with new diagnostic and treatment modalities aimed to improve diabetic retinopathy management are encouraging for both physicians and patients.
Diabetes Complications ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Global Health ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Vision Disorders

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of the hand-held and table-top autorefractokeratometer in measuring refractive errors by comparing them with cycloplegic retinoscopy. METHODS: Included in the study were 112 eyes of 112 pediatric patients whose mean age was 6.78 +/- 2.61 years (range, 2 to 12 years). The refractive errors of all the eyes were measured with and without cycloplegia using a hand held autorefractokeratometer (Retinomax K-plus 3), table top autorefractokeratometer (Canon RK-F1) and performing cycloplegic retinoscopy. The spherical equivalent, cylindrical axis and keratometer values were statistically compared. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent obtained from the Retinomax K-plus 3 was significantly less hyperopic than that of Canon RK-F1 (p = 0.004) before cycloplegia. When the Bland Altman analysis was performed in comparisons of spherical equivalent values measured with the Retinomax K-plus 3, Canon RK-F1 and cycloplegic retinoscopy, it was seen that almost all of the differences between the measurements remained within the range of +/-2 standard deviation. Good agreement was found between Retinomax K-plus 3 and Canon RK-F1 for the Jackson cross-cylinder values at axis 0degrees and 45degrees; keratometer values respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The refractive error components were highly correlated between the two instruments and cycloplegic retinoscopy.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Refractive Errors/*diagnosis ; *Retinoscopes ; *Retinoscopy ; Vision Screening

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of the hand-held and table-top autorefractokeratometer in measuring refractive errors by comparing them with cycloplegic retinoscopy. METHODS: Included in the study were 112 eyes of 112 pediatric patients whose mean age was 6.78 +/- 2.61 years (range, 2 to 12 years). The refractive errors of all the eyes were measured with and without cycloplegia using a hand held autorefractokeratometer (Retinomax K-plus 3), table top autorefractokeratometer (Canon RK-F1) and performing cycloplegic retinoscopy. The spherical equivalent, cylindrical axis and keratometer values were statistically compared. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent obtained from the Retinomax K-plus 3 was significantly less hyperopic than that of Canon RK-F1 (p = 0.004) before cycloplegia. When the Bland Altman analysis was performed in comparisons of spherical equivalent values measured with the Retinomax K-plus 3, Canon RK-F1 and cycloplegic retinoscopy, it was seen that almost all of the differences between the measurements remained within the range of +/-2 standard deviation. Good agreement was found between Retinomax K-plus 3 and Canon RK-F1 for the Jackson cross-cylinder values at axis 0degrees and 45degrees; keratometer values respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The refractive error components were highly correlated between the two instruments and cycloplegic retinoscopy.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Refractive Errors/*diagnosis ; *Retinoscopes ; *Retinoscopy ; Vision Screening