11.5% failed the refractive error test

Results on on the L'Occitane Foundation Vision Screening Project

The General Eye and Low Vision Centre of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind received sponsorship from the L’Occitane Foundation in 2016 to launch a 2-year vision care project from April 2016 to March 2018 for kindergarten children. A mobile vision screening bus was used to provide vision assessment to 5,000 students 3 to 5 years of age, and eye care talks to their parents and teachers to promote early detection and management of eye diseases for the prevention of permanent visual disability.

The vision assessment or screening tests include the checking of visual acuity, stereoscopic vision, color vision, strabismus, and refractive error.

In 2016, the project served 2,615 students. And 2,205 students from 13 kindergartens received service between March and September in 2017. It was found that myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and other refractive related defects were the most common visual problems, followed by defective stereoscopic vision, color vision deficiency, strabismus and amblyopia. These visual defects if left untreated, could hinder the development of good eye hand coordination and caused permanent visual disability.

Two percent of the 2,205 young children screened in 2017 failed the near visual acuity test. However a total of 11.5% or 254 children failed the refractive error test. They had significant refractive error of more than 1.00 diopter of myopia, larger than 3.00 diopter of hyperopia, or exceeded 1.50 diopter of astigmatism. The daily visual requirement of children is less demanding for near as reading materials usually adopt larger display and font size. Therefore passing the near vision test does not warrant normal vision and no seeing difficulty.

Compared with the 2016 result where 2,615 kindergarten students were examined, the rate of failing in refractive error rose from 9.4% to 11.5%. Such trend is worrisome and should be closely monitored in the future assessments. The above findings were publicized in the 2017 World Sight Day and received significant media publicity and arouse public attention.

Kwok Sze Ki, a 4 year-old girl who studied in one of the kindergartens which participated in the Vision Screening Programme was found to have high hyperopia and amblyopia in both eyes, and reduction in stereopic vision. She was prescribed with spectacles to correct her eyesight and received treatment to improve her stereoscopic vision and reduce the amblyopia.

“ I found Sze Ki often turned her head to one side when she was watching television, but I did not know she suffered seeing difficulty and needed an eye examination” said the mother of Sze Ki. “It was so lucky that the kindergarten of my girl joined the vision screening programme, otherwise, her visual problem would get worse and probably become irreversible.” added Sze Ki’s mother. The eye sight of Sze Ki was improved and resulted in the correction of her abnormal viewing posture. Her concentration in the class and her school result also improved significantly.

The vision screening bus programmed sponsored by the L’Occitane Foundation has enabled small children like Sze Ki and many others to receive early detection and treatment to preserve their precious eyesight.

“I was very grateful for the good vision screening service of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind and the follow up care it offered. I strongly advise parents to observe closely any unusual visual behavior of their children, and to find appropriate management as early as possible when needed to protect the valuable eye sight of our children in their early stage of development” ended by Sze Ki’s mother in an interview of the follow up examination for Sze Ki.

Vision Screening Bus spsonsored L’OCCITANE Foundation

Vision Screening for kindergarten students

Eye care health talk to students