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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Jan-Mar;18(1):100534.
doi: 10.1016/j.optom.2024.100534. Epub 2025 Mar 3.

Prevalence of refractive errors among school students in Iraq - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hassan A Aljaberi  1 , I R Ali  2 , Zaydoon Tariq M Noori  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of refractive errors among school students in Iraq - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hassan A Aljaberi et al. J Optom. 2025 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: This research aimed to thoroughly examine and meta-analyse statistical information about the prevalence of refractive error in Iraq.

Methods: To discover every pertinent Iraqi epidemiological study from March 2014 to March 2024, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched and reviewed. The Iraqi refractive error rate was interesting. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software received unprocessed events and sample sizes for effect size calculations.

Results: A meta-analysis was undertaken by pooling data from 10 studies. The fixed effects model indicates an estimated effect size of 29.8% (95% CI: 28.6-30.9%). However, the statistical measures of heterogeneity (Q-value p < 0.001; I2 = 98.707) showed significant heterogeneity among the studies, which indicates that a random-effects model should be used. The random effects model suggests that the prevalence of refractive error in the Iraqi population is predicted to be 27.6% (95% CI: 18.9-38.5%). The most common refractive defect was myopia, found in 35.1% of cases (95% CI: 24.9-46.8%). Astigmatism was the second most prevalent, affecting 32.2% (95% CI: 19.1-49.0%), followed by hyperopia in 23.9% (95% CI: 16.0-34.2%).

Conclusions: Current estimate of refractive error prevalence in Iraq may be conservative of this condition's burden. Nevertheless, this corresponds to a minimum of 8 to 18 million individuals in Iraq who have a refractive error. Due to study variability, wide estimate ranges, and random effects, more research and reliable sources are needed to obtain more accurate results.

Keywords: Eye care services; Iraq; Prevalence; Refractive errors; School student.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Diagram illustrating the process of selecting studies according to the PRISMA Framework.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
Pooled prevalence rate of refractive errors among students at schools in Iraq, 2024 (n = 10).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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