Abstract
Assessment of vision in schoolchildren is routinely performed, but the effectiveness of the screening programmes has not been reviewed. A survey of health district screening programmes for vision in schools was performed at the end of 1984. The response rate from districts in England and Wales was 81%. All 165 of the districts that responded screened for loss of distant visual acuity; 96% screened for loss of colour vision, 73% for squint, and 67% for loss of near visual acuity. The frequency with which districts screened varied considerably. Some districts screened yearly, and various different types of tests were used. In many districts children were screened in unsuitable places, such as corridors, assembly halls, and toilets. Criteria for referral varied from one district to another, and few districts collected data appropriate for monitoring their screening programmes. Many districts screened more intensively than could be justified on the basis of the conditions tested for and the likely benefit of remedial treatment.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bremner M. H. Visual acuity in the primary school child aged four to twelve years: a review of amblyopia treatment in this age group at Princess Margaret Hospital. Aust J Ophthalmol. 1984 Nov;12(4):395–399. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.1984.tb01187.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Goss D. A., Winkler R. L. Progression of myopia in youth: age of cessation. Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1983 Aug;60(8):651–658. doi: 10.1097/00006324-198308000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ingram R. M. Amblyopia: the need for a new approach? Br J Ophthalmol. 1979 Apr;63(4):236–237. doi: 10.1136/bjo.63.4.236. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stewart-Brown S., Haslum M. N., Butler N. Educational attainment of 10-year-old children with treated and untreated visual defects. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1985 Aug;27(4):504–513. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1985.tb04575.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]