Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence
Vision screening during childhood is vital for the early detection and treatment of visual impairment that may significantly impact a child’s development and quality of life. This nationwide cross-sectional study used data from Greenland’s national electronic medical records, including 2,493 six-yea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2403221 |
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| author | Nick Duelund Ivan Nisted Ivalu Frederiksen Marit Eika Jørgensen Steffen Heegaard Hanne Jensen |
| author_facet | Nick Duelund Ivan Nisted Ivalu Frederiksen Marit Eika Jørgensen Steffen Heegaard Hanne Jensen |
| author_sort | Nick Duelund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vision screening during childhood is vital for the early detection and treatment of visual impairment that may significantly impact a child’s development and quality of life. This nationwide cross-sectional study used data from Greenland’s national electronic medical records, including 2,493 six-year-old children from July 2017 to July 2023, to evaluate the coverage rate of vision screening and the prevalence of low vision in Greenlandic schoolchildren. The participation rate in vision screening increased from 43% in 2017 to 61% in 2022, while referral rates to ophthalmologists decreased from 14% to 5%, despite a consistent prevalence of low vision. The mean prevalence of impaired vision (0.3 logMAR / ≤0.50 Snellen decimal) in the better-seeing eye at the vision screening throughout the study period was 3%. At the same time, it was 8% for the worse-seeing eyes, indicating a continuous need for ophthalmological evaluation of the Greenlandic children. This study highlights healthcare delivery challenges in Greenland’s sparsely populated areas and emphasises the need for new national guidelines to optimise referral processes. Utilising other healthcare professionals, such as optometrists, for vision screenings and ensuring follow-ups are critical for improving the visual health outcomes of Greenlandic children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5b4c26564da4d58acce278b6bccf863 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2242-3982 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5b4c26564da4d58acce278b6bccf8632024-11-29T19:53:24ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health2242-39822024-12-0183110.1080/22423982.2024.2403221Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalenceNick Duelund0Ivan Nisted1Ivalu Frederiksen2Marit Eika Jørgensen3Steffen Heegaard4Hanne Jensen5Queen Ingrids Primary Healthcare Center, Nuuk, GreenlandDanish College of Optometry and Vision Science, Dania Academy, Randers, DenmarkSisimiut Regional Hospital, Sisimiut, GreenlandGreeland Center for Health Research, Institute of Health and Nature, Ilisimatusarfik University of Greenland, Nuuk, GreenlandDepartment of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, DenmarkDepartment of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, DenmarkVision screening during childhood is vital for the early detection and treatment of visual impairment that may significantly impact a child’s development and quality of life. This nationwide cross-sectional study used data from Greenland’s national electronic medical records, including 2,493 six-year-old children from July 2017 to July 2023, to evaluate the coverage rate of vision screening and the prevalence of low vision in Greenlandic schoolchildren. The participation rate in vision screening increased from 43% in 2017 to 61% in 2022, while referral rates to ophthalmologists decreased from 14% to 5%, despite a consistent prevalence of low vision. The mean prevalence of impaired vision (0.3 logMAR / ≤0.50 Snellen decimal) in the better-seeing eye at the vision screening throughout the study period was 3%. At the same time, it was 8% for the worse-seeing eyes, indicating a continuous need for ophthalmological evaluation of the Greenlandic children. This study highlights healthcare delivery challenges in Greenland’s sparsely populated areas and emphasises the need for new national guidelines to optimise referral processes. Utilising other healthcare professionals, such as optometrists, for vision screenings and ensuring follow-ups are critical for improving the visual health outcomes of Greenlandic children.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2403221ArcticGreenlandschool childrenvision screeningvisual acuity |
| spellingShingle | Nick Duelund Ivan Nisted Ivalu Frederiksen Marit Eika Jørgensen Steffen Heegaard Hanne Jensen Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence International Journal of Circumpolar Health Arctic Greenland school children vision screening visual acuity |
| title | Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence |
| title_full | Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence |
| title_fullStr | Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence |
| title_short | Vision screening of school children in greenland 2017-2022: coverage and low vision prevalence |
| title_sort | vision screening of school children in greenland 2017 2022 coverage and low vision prevalence |
| topic | Arctic Greenland school children vision screening visual acuity |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2403221 |
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