Self-Reported Visual Clarity and Its Association with Refractive Error in Schoolchildren
Keywords:
Refractive error, Self-reported visual clarity, Vision Screening, Visual AcuityAbstract
Self-reported visual clarity is widely used as a rapid screening indicator for detection of refractive error in schoolchildren. This study investigated associations between self-reported visual clarity, refractive error, and objective visual acuity among primary schoolchildren attending vision screening programs. Data from 930 children were analysed retrospectively using chi-square tests. Significant associations were found between self-reported visual clarity and age, refractive error (specifically myopia), and presenting visual acuity; while gender and other refractive error subtypes showed no significant associations. Some children reported clear vision despite reduced visual acuity, supporting combined subjective and objective screening approaches in paediatric vision programmes globally.
References
Alghamdi, W. (2021). Prevalence of Refractive Errors among Children in Saudi Arabia: A Systemic Review. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874364102115010089
Coyle, C. E., Steinman, B. A., & Chen, J. (2017). Visual Acuity and Self-Reported Vision Status: Their Associations With Social Isolation in Older Adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 29(1), 128–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264315624909
Cumberland, P. M., Chianca, A., Rahi, J. S., & for the UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium. (2016). Accuracy and Utility of Self-report of Refractive Error. JAMA Ophthalmology, 134(7), 794–801. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.1275
El-Gasim, M., Munoz, B., West, S. K., & Scott, A. W. (2013). Associations Between Self-Rated Vision Score, Vision Tests, and Self-Reported Visual Function in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 54(9), 6439–6445. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.12-11461
Foreman, J., Xie, J., Keel, S., van Wijngaarden, P., Taylor, H. R., & Dirani, M. (2017). The validity of self-report of eye diseases in participants with vision loss in the National Eye Health Survey. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 8757. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09421-9
Goh, P., Abqariyah, Y., Pokharel, G., & Ellwein, L. (2005). Refractive Error and Visual Impairment in School-Age Children in Gombak District, Malaysia. Ophthalmology, 112(4), 678–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2004.10.048
Holden, B. A., Fricke, T. R., Wilson, D. A., Jong, M., Naidoo, K. S., Sankaridurg, P., Wong, T. Y., Naduvilath, T. J., & Resnikoff, S. (2016). Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology, 123(5), 1036–1042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.006
Ismail, L. A., & Sukumaran, S. (2022). Prevalence of refractive errors among school children in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Medical Hypothesis, Discovery & Innovation in Optometry, 3(3), 106–112. https://doi.org/10.51329/mehdioptometry158
Santiago, H. C., Rullán, M., Ortiz, K., Rivera, A., Nieves, M., Piña, J., Torres, Z., & Mercado, Y. (2023). Prevalence of refractive errors in children of Puerto Rico. International Journal of Ophthalmology, 16(3), 434–441. https://doi.org/10.18240/ijo.2023.03.15
Surico, P. L., Parmar, U. P. S., Singh, R. B., Farsi, Y., Musa, M., Maniaci, A., Lavalle, S., D’Esposito, F., Gagliano, C., & Zeppieri, M. (2024). Myopia in Children: Epidemiology, Genetics, and Emerging Therapies for Treatment and Prevention. Children, 11(12), 1446. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11121446
Tajbakhsh, Z., Talebnejad, M. R., Khalili, M. R., Masoumpour, M. S., Mahdaviazad, H., Mohammadi, E., Keshtkar, M., & Nowroozzadeh, M. H. (2022). The prevalence of refractive error in schoolchildren. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 105(8), 860–864. https://doi.org/10.1080/08164622.2021.2003687
Wardati, H. J., Karimmah, W., Khadijah, M., Ahmad-Sharmizi, M., Wan-Julyatee, W. Y., Ain-Nasyrah, A. S., Shahidatul-Adha, M., Waheeda-Azwa, H., Ng, K. S., Jesspreet-Kaur, H. S., Abdullah, N. A., Hanizasurana, H., & Shatriah, I. (2024). Refractive error and amblyopia among primary school children in remote islands of East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 79(5), 499–506.
World Health Organization. (2019). World report on vision. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/328717
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 SITI NORDIANA ABD.RAHMAN, Mohd Helmi Abu Yahya, Abdallah Naqaweh, Noor Haziq Saliman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
