229
Views
16
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Validity of Vision Screening Tests by Teachers Among School Children in Mashhad, Iran

, , , , , , , , & show all
Pages 166-171 | Received 24 Jun 2009, Accepted 25 Jun 2011, Published online: 08 May 2012
 

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of vision screening in Iranian schools where teachers have provided screening services for over 10 years.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, using random cluster sampling, 1163 school children were selected from 14 clusters. Data of vision tests performed by teachers were derived from 847 student records and compared with data obtained by optometrists. Measurement of the uncorrected visual acuity was done using the E chart by both the teachers and the optometrists. Examinations performed by optometrists were regarded as gold standard in this study and the sensitivity and specificity of the examinations performed by teachers were evaluated against them. Uncorrected visual acuity worse than 20/25 in the better eye was considered as the cut-off point for students’ visual impairment.

Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the screening tests performed by the teachers were 37.5% and 92.0%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 25.0% and 95.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the validity of the vision test between males and females (P = 0.093 for sensitivity and P = 0.052 for specificity).

Conclusion: Our findings showed that teachers missed a significant number of children with vision impairment and the examinations performed by teachers lacked the required sensitivity for case detection. The number of false negative results should be minimized through continued investment in accurate screening processes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank the Vice Chancellor for Research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for the financial support, and the authorities at Mashhad Office of Education for their sincere assistance.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 65.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 740.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.