scholarly journals The Prevalence of Visual Impairment and Refractive Errors among a Youth Population in Mozambique: Evidence of the Need for Intervention

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 892
Author(s):  
Dulnério B. Sengo ◽  
Isaura I. D. B. Dos Santos ◽  
Momade F. Faquihe ◽  
Hermenegildo B. J. F. Tomo ◽  
Alcino M. Muaprato ◽  
...  

Visual impairment (VI) can significantly interfere in the child’s daily activities and quality of life, having a negative effect on their development and learning. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of VI and associated demographic factors in students examined during the program “Moçambique te vejo melhor”. This study was cross-sectional and retrospective, based on the 2018/19 edition of the program. Eye examinations were performed in secondary school students, aged between 12 and 20 years, of five districts in Nampula province. The examination included visual acuity, non-cycloplegic refraction and assessment of the anterior and posterior segment and ocular adnexa. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting and best-corrected VI found was 18.3%, 10.8%, and 5.0%, respectively. Refractive error (RE) had a prevalence of 24.7%, and the age groups between 15–17 years and 18–20 years were significantly associated with myopia (with OR: 4.9 and OR: 8.8, respectively), as well as the 11th and 12th grade (OR: 8.1 and OR: 10.7, respectively), and Malema district had association with myopia (ORa: 0.4) and hyperopia (ORa: 0.4 and OR: 0.3) as a protective factor. The prevalence of RE and VI was relatively high, showing the need for greater intervention at the school level.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed Ahmed Shahzad

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether anxiety and depression have a negative effect on academic performance. This small-scale study assessed the relationship between these factors. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out. A randomized sample of 52 high school students based in various schools across Lahore participated in the survey. Of the participants, 32 were males and 20 were females. As a measure of anxiety and depression 14 questions from the DASS-21 were utilized (The 7 questions pertaining to the measure of stress were not included in this study). Based on the DASS-21 score obtained by the respondents they were classified under categories of normal, mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe levels of anxiety and depression. As a measure of academic performance, the Grade Point Average (GPA) of the students was obtained via the survey. The mean average GPA was calculated for all the students falling under the aforementioned categories pertaining to anxiety and depression separately and these averages were compared. It was found that the mean average GPA was highest in students falling under the categories of normal and mild levels of anxiety and depression. Whereas, mean average GPA was lower in students suffering from severe levels of anxiety and depression. These findings suggest the need to come up with methods to combat anxiety and depression in high school students as these factors impede academic performance.


Author(s):  
Soe AK ◽  
Aizat AF ◽  
Bellahcene MA ◽  
Atiqah N ◽  
Husna N

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma (BA) are common inflammatory chronic respiratory diseases, and they are significant public health challenges on a global scale. The prevalence of these diseases are on the rise in all regions of the world, affecting all ages but more commonly among children and adolescences. Both AR and BA affect patients to a different extent with variable restrictions in the physical, emotional, and social aspects of the patient's life. They may be seen as two presentations of the same disease by sharing common epidemiologic, histologic, physiologic, and immunopathologic linkages. To determine the prevalence and impact of allergic rhinitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis with asthma on quality of life among secondary school students in Kinta District, Perak. A cross-sectional study was done among secondary school students from randomly selected three schools in Kinta District, Ipoh, Perak. A well-vetted and validated questionnaire was used to collect the data, and statistical analysis was done to determine the prevalence and impact of AR, BA, or both. A total of 250 secondary school students were involved in this study. Malays were the majority among the participants. The prevalence of AR alone, BA alone, and disease co-occurance were 27.2%, 9.2%, and 8%, respectively. Nearly 20% of the participants were troublesome but low scale in terms of quality of life followed by disturbed sleep, restricted participation in school, and daily activities. Only 6% of the participants experienced sleep disturbance due to asthma, but daily anti-asthmatic medication was essential in only 1.2%. This study showed that although a relatively high prevalence of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma. There was no significant low quality of life among sufferers.  


e-CliniC ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indo Mamesah ◽  
Josefien S. M. Saerang ◽  
Laya M. Rares

Abstract: Visual impairment is defined as a functional limitation of the eye/eyes or visual system and can manifest in decreased visual acuity or contrast sensitivity, visual field loss, photophobia, visual distortion, visual perceptual difficulties, or a combination of them. Examination of the eye and vision assessment are very important to detect conditions that can cause blindness and serious systemic conditions, which cause problems in school performance, or at a more severe level, life threatening. This study aimed to obtain the occurence of refractive anomalies among junior high school students in rural areas. This was an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design. The study was conducted in SMP I Wori (rural area) and SMP I Airmadidi (urban area). There were 60 respondents; 30 respondents of each school. Distributions of respondent genders were nearly the same for both schools; the number of females was higher than males. The majority of SMP I Airmadidi students were 11 years old (36.7%), meanwhile the majority of SMP Wori students were 13 years (50%). Most student complaints in SMP I Airmadidi were itchy eyes and drowsiness (16.7%), meanwhile in SMP I Wori was headache (18.4%). Visual impairment was found in 16.6% of students of SMP I Airmadidi, meanwhile in SMP I there was no student with refractive anomaly. Conclusion: There was no refractive anomaly found among students of rural area, however, among students of urban area myopia was the refractive anomaly found.Keywords: refractive anomalyAbstrak: Gangguan penglihatan didefinisikan sebagai suatu keterbatasan fungsional pada mata atau kedua mata atau sistem visual yang dapat bermanifestasi terhadap penurunan ketajaman penglihatan atau sensitifitas kontras, hilangnya lapangan penglihatan, photofobia, distorsi visual, kesulitan perseptual visual atau kombinasi dari semua diatas. Pemeriksaan mata dan penilaian penglihatan sangat penting untuk mendeteksi kondisi yang dapat menyebabkan kebutaan dan kondisi sistemik serius, yang memicu masalah performa di sekolah, atau pada tingkat yang lebih berat, mengancam kehidupan anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran kelainan refraksi pada anak SMP di daerah pedesaan. Jenis penelitian ini analitik observasional dengan desain potong lintang. Penelitian dilakukan di SMPN I Wori (daerah luar Minahasa Utara/pedesaan) dan SMPN I Airmadidi (kota Kabupaten Minahasa Utara), dan diperoleh 60 responden penelitian. Distribusi jenis kelamin responden kedua sekolah hampir sama dimana jumlah perempuan lebih banyak dari laki-laki. Usia terbanyak di SMPN I Airmadidi ialah 11 tahun (36,7%) sedangkan di SMPN Wori 13 tahun (50%). Keluhan terbanyak siswa di SMPN I Airmadidi ialah mata gatal dan rasa kantuk (16,7%), sedangkan di SMPN I Wori ialah sakit kepala (18, 4%). Gangguan penglihatan ditemukan pada responden di SMPN I Airmadidi sebanyak 16,6 % sedangkan di SMPN I tidak ditemukan kelainan visus. Simpulan: Tidak ditemukan adanya gangguan refraksi pada siswa SMP di daerah pedesaan. Kelainan refraksi miopia ditemukan pada siswa SMP di perkotaan.Kata kunci: gangguan refraksi


2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 582-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham F Moore ◽  
Katy Tapper ◽  
Simon Murphy ◽  
Rebecca Lynch ◽  
Larry Raisanen ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo examine school-level relationships between deprivation and breakfast eating behaviours (breakfast skipping and the healthfulness of foods consumed) in 9–11-year-old schoolchildren and to examine whether attitudes towards eating breakfast mediated these relationships.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingOne hundred and eleven primary schools in Wales.SubjectsYear 5 and 6 pupils within the 111 primary schools. Measures were completed by 4314 children. Analysis was conducted at the group (school) level, with each school representing one group.ResultsDeprivation was positively associated with breakfast skipping and consumption of ‘unhealthy’ items (i.e. sweet snacks, crisps) for breakfast. A significant negative association was found between deprivation and consumption of ‘healthy’ items (i.e. fruit, bread, cereal, milk). Deprivation was significantly inversely associated with attitudes towards eating breakfast. The relationships between deprivation and (1) breakfast skipping and (2) consumption of ‘healthy’ items for breakfast were mediated by attitudes towards eating breakfast. The hypothesis that attitudes mediated the relationship between deprivation and consumption of ‘unhealthy’ breakfast items was unsupported.ConclusionsDeprivation is associated with adverse breakfast eating behaviours amongst children aged 9–11 years, in terms of breakfast skipping and the quality of breakfasts consumed. Socio-economic differences in attitudes towards eating breakfast are apparent amongst this age group, and appear to relate to social gradients in breakfast eating behaviours. Research is needed to examine the causal nature of these trends and to elucidate factors underlying the development of socio-economic differences in eating-related cognitions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 08 (01) ◽  
pp. e50-e54
Author(s):  
Vitchayaporn Saengow ◽  
Sirikarn Tangcheewinsirikul

Introduction Migraine is the most common primary headache in children which leads to disturbance of school performance and impaired quality of life. The prevalence of migraine is different between countries and ethnicities; this study determines the prevalence and precipitating factors of migraine in Thailand. Method This cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in Nakhon Ratchasima. The children aged between 12 and 18 years from four secondary schools were selected by stratified randomization method. The screening questionnaire and directed interview with physical examination were done and migraine was diagnosed based on the criteria of International Classification of Headache Disorders III. The prevalence of migraine was identified and baseline characteristic of disease with precipitating factors was evaluated. Results A total of 2,744 students aged between 12 and 18 years (900 males, 1,844 females) were recruited; mean age was 14.3 ± 1.75 years. Fifty-five students were diagnosed with migraine (20 males [36.36%], 35 females [63.64%], mean age: 15.1 ± 1.6 years). The prevalence of migraine was 1.98%. Migraine prevalence was predominant in female adolescents with a common feature being migraine without aura. The important precipitating factor in this study was stress from academic achievement. Conclusion Migraine is a common disease in children and under-recognized in school students, and stress is the major precipitating factor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e000658
Author(s):  
Blanca Estela Del-Río-Navarro ◽  
Arturo Berber ◽  
Nayely Reyes-Noriega ◽  
Elsy Maureen Navarrete-Rodríguez ◽  
Roberto García-Almaraz ◽  
...  

BackgroundGlobal Asthma Network (GAN) was established in 2012 as a development to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood to improve asthma care globally.ObjectiveTo survey asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in primary and secondary school children and to investigate and evaluate its prevalence, severity, management and risk factors in Mexico.MethodsGAN Phase I is a cross-sectional, multicentre survey carried out in 15 centres corresponding to 14 Mexican cities throughout 2016–2019 using the validated Spanish language version of the GAN Phase I questionnaires. The questionnaires were completed by parents of 6–7-year-old primary school pupils (school children) and by 13–14-year-old adolescents.ResultsA total of 35 780 school children and 41 399 adolescents participated. Wheezing ever prevalence was 26.2% (95% CI 25.8% to 26.7%) in school children and 23.9% (95% CI 23.4% to 24.3%) in adolescents. The corresponding frequencies for current wheeze were 10.2% (95% CI 9.9% to 10.5%) and 11.6% (95% CI 11.2% to 11.9%). In school children, the risk factors for current wheeze were rhinitis (OR 4.484; 95% CI 3.915% to 5.134%) and rash symptoms (OR 1.735; 95% CI 1.461% to 2.059%). For adolescents, rhinitis symptoms (OR 3.492; 95% CI 3.188% to 3.825%) and allergic rhinitis diagnosis (OR 2.144; 95% CI 1.787% to 2.572%) were the most significant. For both groups, there was a negative relation with centres’ sea level altitude higher than 1500 m above mean sea level (p<0.005).ConclusionsThe most important risk factors for asthma symptoms in both age groups were the presence of rhinitis and rash symptoms or diagnosis. On the other hand, sea level altitude higher than 1500 metres was a protective factor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven H. Kelder ◽  
Dale S. Mantey ◽  
Duncan Van Dusen ◽  
Kathleen Case ◽  
Alexandra Haas ◽  
...  

Objectives: From 2017 to 2018, electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use increased 78% among high school students and 48% among middle school students in the United States. However, few e-cigarette prevention interventions have been evaluated. We determined the feasibility and initial effectiveness of “CATCH My Breath,” an e-cigarette prevention program, among a sample of middle schools in central Texas. Methods: Twelve middle schools in Texas (6 intervention schools and 6 control schools) participated in the CATCH My Breath pilot program during 2016-2017. CATCH My Breath is rooted in social cognitive theory, consists of 4 interactive in-class modules, and is collaboratively administered via classroom and physical education teachers, student–peer leaders, and social messaging (eg, school posters). We collected 3 waves of data: baseline (January 2017), 4-month follow-up (May 2017), and 16-month follow-up (May 2018). Using school as the unit of analysis, we tested a repeated cross-sectional, condition-by-time interaction on e-cigarette ever use, psychosocial determinants of use, and other tobacco use behaviors. Analyses controlled for school-level sociodemographic characteristics (eg, sex, race/ethnicity, and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch). Results: From baseline to 16-month follow-up, increases in ever e-cigarette use prevalence were significantly lower among intervention schools (2.8%-4.9%) than among control schools (2.7%-8.9%), controlling for covariates ( P = .01). Intervention schools also had significantly greater improvements in e-cigarette knowledge (β = 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-1.21; P = .008) and perceived positive outcomes (β = –0.12; 95% CI, –0.23 to –0.02; P = .02) than control schools, controlling for covariates from baseline to 16-month follow-up. Conclusion: Ever e-cigarette use was lower among middle schools that implemented the CATCH My Breath program than among those that did not. Replication of findings among a larger sample of schools, using a group-randomized, longitudinal study design and a longer follow-up period, is needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1106
Author(s):  
Camelia Plastoi ◽  
Ioana Butu ◽  
Diana-Mihaela Țîrcă ◽  
Bianca Ferrario ◽  
Ilie Mihai ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to emphasize the correlation between the number of physical education lessons with effects on the formation of high school students and the importance of practicing physical activities during the extra-class time in sustainable spaces with quality breathable air. The values were recorded in this cross-sectional study; on a number of 208 high school students; grades 9–12; tested for the level of manifesting their effort capacity acquired during the physical education lessons. The statistical analysis of the processed data highlights the obtained values: Weak 59% and 31% satisfactory for boys; and 53.92% weak; 34% satisfactory for girls. In conclusion; the necessity to carry out extra-curricular physical activities in an unpolluted environment and to acquire useful physical skills in carrying out different activities in society, promotes and generates sustainability in maintaining the lifestyle.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandi L. Pruitt ◽  
Andrew E. Springer

Background:Evidence of an association between employment and physical activity (PA) in youth has been mixed, with studies suggesting both positive and negative associations. We examined the association between employment and PA among U.S. high school students as measured by self-reported overall PA, vigorous exercise, and participation in school athletic teams.Methods:We employed a secondary analysis using weighted linear regression to a sample of black and white 10th grade (n = 12073) and 12th grade students (n = 5500) drawn from the nationally representative cross-sectional 2004 Monitoring the Future Study.Results:Overall, 36.5% of 10th and 74.6% of 12th grade students were employed. In multivariable analyses, 10th graders working >10 hours a week reported less overall PA and exercise and those working >20 hours a week reported less participation in team sports. Among 12th graders, any level of employment was associated with lower rates of team sports; those working >10 hours a week reported less overall PA; and those working >20 hours reported less exercise.Conclusions:Employment at and above 10 hours per week is negatively associated with PA. Increasing work intensity may shed light on the decline of PA as adolescents grow older and merits further attention in research.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e027233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen S Marshall ◽  
Mark McMillan ◽  
Ann Koehler ◽  
Andrew Lawrence ◽  
Jenny MacLennan ◽  
...  

IntroductionInvasive meningococcal disease is uncommon but associated with a high-case fatality rate. Carriage prevalence of the causative bacteria,Neisseria meningitidis, is high in adolescents. A large (n=34 500) cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the impact of a meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine on meningococcal carriage was implemented in the state of South Australia (SA) for year 10, 11 and 12 senior school students in 2017–2018. This study will assess the impact of MenB vaccine (4CMenB) on carriage prevalence in school leavers in SA, 1 and 2 years after implementation of the cluster RCT in adolescents. Measuring the impact of population programmes on carriage can assist in informing future meningococcal immunisation programmes such as targeted age groups and use of catch-up campaigns.Methods and analysisThis repeat cross-sectional study will assess carriage prevalence in 2018 and 2019. All school leavers who attended year 12 in any school in SA in 2018 or 2019 will be invited to participate in this study. An oropharyngeal swab will be taken from each participating student and a risk factor questionnaire completed by the student following informed consent. Students will attend clinics at SA universities, technical colleges, and metropolitan, rural and remote government council clinics. Confirmed vaccination history will allow a comparison in carriage prevalence between vaccinated and unvaccinated school leavers. A sample size of 4096 students per year will provide 80% power to detect a 20% difference in carriage prevalence of disease-causing meningococci (defined as genogroup A, B, C, W, X or Y) between years.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Women’s and Children’s Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee. Results will be published in international peer review journals and presented at national and international conferences.Trial registration numberNCT03419533; Pre-results


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