Prevalence of vision conditions in children in a very remote Australian community

BackgroundAlthough recent studies have provided detailed analyses of the prevalence of vision conditions in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in urban and regional areas of Australia, there is a paucity of research examining vision conditions in children in remote regions. Importantly, a significant proportion of the population in remote and very remote regions identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.MethodsComprehensive eye examinations were provided to 193 primary school children in a very remote Australian region. Ninety eight percent of children identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The eye examination included measures of visual acuity, cycloplegic autorefraction, binocular vision and accommodative function, ocular health and colour vision. Previous history of eye examinations and refractive correction were assessed through parental questionnaire.ResultsAlthough the average unaided vision in the population was good (mean: 0.02 +/- 0.13 logMAR) and the prevalence of reduced unaided visual acuity (>0.3 logMAR in either eye) was low (4%), vision conditions were detected in 32% of children. The most common conditions were clinically significant refractive errors (18% of children) and binocular vision or accommodative disorders (16%). Of the total population of children tested, 10% had previously had an eye examination, and 2% were reported to have previously been prescribed spectacles.ConclusionsIn this population of children in a very remote Australian region, up to 1 in 3 children had a vision condition, with many of these conditions being uncorrected and undetected. These findings highlight the important need for additional resources to be made available to very remote communities for the detection and correction of vision conditions in childhood.

Automated summary

Although studies have examined vision conditions in Indigenous children in urban and regional areas of Australia, there is limited research on children in remote regions. This study found that up to 1 in 3 children in a very remote region had a vision condition, with many of these conditions being uncorrected and undetected.