Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Nov-Dec;57(6):437-42.
doi: 10.4103/0301-4738.57151.

Evaluation of 'vision screening' program for three to six-year-old children in the Republic of Iran

Rajiv Khandekar  1 , Noa Parast, Ashraf Arabi
Affiliations

Evaluation of 'vision screening' program for three to six-year-old children in the Republic of Iran

Rajiv Khandekar et al. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2009 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Since 1996, vision screening of three to six-year-old children is conducted every year in Iran. We present outcomes of project review held in August 2006.

Materials and methods: Kindergarten teachers examined vision by using Snellen's illiterate 'E' chart. They used torchlight to detect strabismus. On a repeat test, if either eye had vision < 20/30, the child was referred to the optometrist. A pediatric ophthalmologist examined and managed children with strabismus or amblyopia. Provincial managers supervised the screening program. The evaluator team assessed the coverage, yield, quality and feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of vision screening, as well as magnitude of amblyopia, and its risk factors.

Result: In 2005, 1.4 million (67%) children were examined in all provinces of Iran. Opticians examined 90,319 (61%) children with defective vision that were referred to them. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error, strabismus and amblyopia was 3.82% (95% CI 3.79 - 3.85), 0.39% (95% CI 0.38 - 0.40) and 1.25% (95% CI 1.24 - 1.26) respectively. Validity test of 7,768 children had a sensitivity of 74.5% (95% CI 72.7 - 76.3) and specificity of 97.2% (95% CI 96.7 - 97.7). The cost of amblyopia screening was US $ 1.5 per child. While the cost of screening and treating one child with amblyopia was US $ 245.

Conclusion: A review of the vision screening of children in Iran showed it with screening and useful exercise and had a yield of 1:21. The coverage of vision screening was low and the management of children with amblyopia, low vision and refractive error needed strengthening.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart showing levels of vision screening of three to six-year-old children in Iran
Figure 2
Figure 2
Algorithm for evaluation of vision screening program of the Republic of Iran
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nilsson J, Baumann M, Sjöstrand J. Strabismus might be a risk factor for amblyopia recurrence. J AAPOS. 2007;11:240–2. - PubMed
    1. Gawecki M, Fabiszewska-Górny D. Amblyopia in myopia in patients with strabismus and without strabismus. Klin Oczna. 2002;104:254–6. - PubMed
    1. Hartmann EE, Dobson V, Hainline L, Marsh-Tootle W, Quinn GE, Ruttum MS, et al. Maternal and child health bureau and national eye institute task force on vision screening in the preschool child: Preschool vision screening: Summary of a task force report. Ophthalmology. 2001;108:479–86. - PubMed
    1. Stewart CE, Hussey A, Davies N, Moseley MJ. Comparison of logMAR ETDRS chart and a new computerised staircased procedure for assessment of the visual acuity of children. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2006;26:597–601. - PubMed
    1. Becker R, Graf M. Landolt C and Snellen ‘E’ acuity: Differences in strabismus amblyopia? Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd. 2006;223:24–8. - PubMed

Publication types