Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The impact of vision screening in preschool children on visual function in the Swedish adult population

Thorisdottir, Rannveig Linda LU ; Faxén, Tove LU ; Blohmé, Jonas LU ; Sheikh, Rafi LU orcid and Malmsjö, Malin LU (2019) In Acta Ophthalmologica 97(8). p.793-797
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Amblyopia is the most common monocular visual impairment in Scandinavia. A visual screening programme for preschool children was introduced in Sweden in the 1970s to reduce the prevalence of amblyopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of this visual screening programme in adult men recruited to the armed forces in Sweden.

METHODS: The prevalence of amblyopia was compared in recruits born in 1956-1957 (n = 1500), before the introduction of the visual screening programme (unscreened), and those born in 1977-1979 (n = 2626), after the visual screening programme was introduced (screened). Amblyopia was defined as bilateral, if the bilateral best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was <0.5 (20/40), and... (More)

BACKGROUND: Amblyopia is the most common monocular visual impairment in Scandinavia. A visual screening programme for preschool children was introduced in Sweden in the 1970s to reduce the prevalence of amblyopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of this visual screening programme in adult men recruited to the armed forces in Sweden.

METHODS: The prevalence of amblyopia was compared in recruits born in 1956-1957 (n = 1500), before the introduction of the visual screening programme (unscreened), and those born in 1977-1979 (n = 2626), after the visual screening programme was introduced (screened). Amblyopia was defined as bilateral, if the bilateral best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was <0.5 (20/40), and unilateral if there was a ≥2-line interocular difference and BCVA was <0.625 (20/32) in the worse eye. Subgroup analysis was performed on recruits with hyperopia, myopia and anisometropia.

RESULTS: The prevalence of amblyopia was significantly lower after the introduction of the Swedish visual screening programme. Forty-seven (3.3%) of the unscreened and 23 (0.9%) of the screened recruits had unilateral amblyopia (p < 0.0001, OR = 0.26 (95%CI 0.16-0.43)). The risk for developing amblyopia was markedly reduced by screening in recruits with hyperopia (≥2D) (p < 0.0001 and OR 0.034 (95% CI 0.003-0.207)) and anisometropia (≥1.5D interocular difference) (p < 0.01 and OR 0.20 (95% CI 0.08-0.66)). Only a few recruits with myopia had amblyopia.

CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the value of the Swedish visual screening programme for preschool children in preventing amblyopia. Anisometropia or high hyperopic refractive errors can be identified by screening and corrected to prevent amblyopia.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Acta Ophthalmologica
volume
97
issue
8
pages
793 - 797
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85066889638
  • pmid:31127702
ISSN
1755-3768
DOI
10.1111/aos.14147
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2019 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
id
6abce645-6f98-4435-a434-dfef3ea9e5b6
date added to LUP
2019-06-04 14:54:42
date last changed
2024-04-16 09:48:07
@article{6abce645-6f98-4435-a434-dfef3ea9e5b6,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Amblyopia is the most common monocular visual impairment in Scandinavia. A visual screening programme for preschool children was introduced in Sweden in the 1970s to reduce the prevalence of amblyopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of this visual screening programme in adult men recruited to the armed forces in Sweden.</p><p>METHODS: The prevalence of amblyopia was compared in recruits born in 1956-1957 (n = 1500), before the introduction of the visual screening programme (unscreened), and those born in 1977-1979 (n = 2626), after the visual screening programme was introduced (screened). Amblyopia was defined as bilateral, if the bilateral best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was &lt;0.5 (20/40), and unilateral if there was a ≥2-line interocular difference and BCVA was &lt;0.625 (20/32) in the worse eye. Subgroup analysis was performed on recruits with hyperopia, myopia and anisometropia.</p><p>RESULTS: The prevalence of amblyopia was significantly lower after the introduction of the Swedish visual screening programme. Forty-seven (3.3%) of the unscreened and 23 (0.9%) of the screened recruits had unilateral amblyopia (p &lt; 0.0001, OR = 0.26 (95%CI 0.16-0.43)). The risk for developing amblyopia was markedly reduced by screening in recruits with hyperopia (≥2D) (p &lt; 0.0001 and OR 0.034 (95% CI 0.003-0.207)) and anisometropia (≥1.5D interocular difference) (p &lt; 0.01 and OR 0.20 (95% CI 0.08-0.66)). Only a few recruits with myopia had amblyopia.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the value of the Swedish visual screening programme for preschool children in preventing amblyopia. Anisometropia or high hyperopic refractive errors can be identified by screening and corrected to prevent amblyopia.</p>}},
  author       = {{Thorisdottir, Rannveig Linda and Faxén, Tove and Blohmé, Jonas and Sheikh, Rafi and Malmsjö, Malin}},
  issn         = {{1755-3768}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{793--797}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Ophthalmologica}},
  title        = {{The impact of vision screening in preschool children on visual function in the Swedish adult population}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aos.14147}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/aos.14147}},
  volume       = {{97}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}