1. Prevalence of Prescription Glasses in the First-Grade Thai Students (7–8 Years Old)
- Author
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Supawan Surukrattanaskul, Nutsuchar Wangtiraumnuay, Sumalin Trichaiyaporn, Sirin Lueangaram, and Kwanjai Wongkittirux
- Subjects
Refractive error ,prescription ,Visual acuity ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Visual impairment ,Astigmatism ,medicine.disease ,Sensory Systems ,primary school ,Ophthalmology ,High astigmatism ,astigmatism ,Eye examination ,refractive errors ,medicine ,Optometry ,Clinical Optometry ,Medical prescription ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Dioptre ,Original Research - Abstract
Nutsuchar Wangtiraumnuay, Sumalin Trichaiyaporn, Sirin Lueangaram, Supawan Surukrattanaskul, Kwanjai Wongkittirux Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok, ThailandCorrespondence: Nutsuchar WangtiraumnuayDepartment of Ophthalmology, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok, ThailandTel +6693-919-6241Email n.wangtiraumnuay@gmail.comPurpose: To study the prevalence of the prescription glasses given to first-grade students due to the âGood Sight for Thai Childrenâ (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 studentsâ 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 â 1.08 (â 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 (< â 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.Keywords: refractive errors, primary school, astigmatism, prescription
- Published
- 2021