Prevalence and associated factors of visual impairment among school-age children in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Visual impairment (VI) is one of the major public health problems in the world. It is highly prevalent among children in sub-Saharan countries, including Ethiopia. Worldwide, the magnitude of VI among school-age children is 1%–10%. However, there was limited information regarding the prevalence and associated factors of VI among school-age children in the study area, which is essential to plan and implement appropriate interventions. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of VI among school-age children livin g in Bahir Dar city, northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was done on a sample of 632 school-age children selected by multistage sampling in Bahir Dar from April 30 to May 15, 2018. Data were collected through interviews and physical examinations. Face-to-face interviews were done with a pretested semistructured questionnaire. Physical examinations were done with visual acuity measures and assessment of ocular pathology by optometrists. Data were entered into Epi Info 7 and exported to and analyzed with SPSS 20. Binary logistic regression was fitted, and variables with P<0.05 in the multivariate model were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 601 study subjects were included in this study, giving a response rate of 95.2%. The median age was 13 (IQR 11–16) years, and 303 (50.3%) were male. Prevalence of VI was 52 (8.7%, 95% CI 6.2%–10.7%). In multivariate analysis, prematurity [AOR 2.8 (95% CI 1.19–6.83)], admission to a neonatal intensive-care unit (AOR 5.5, 95% CI 2.01– 15.15), having a parent with VI (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 0.13–0.97), watching television from <2 m (AOR 8.7, 95% CI 1.49–18.24), and mobile-phone exposure >4 hours per day (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.32–4.45) were factors significantly associated with VI. Conclusion: The prevalence of VI among school-age children in Bahir Dar was significant. Premature birth, admission to a neonatal intensive-care unit, having a parent with VI, watching television from <2 m, and mobile exposure >4 hours per day were significantly associated.