My grandmother Chingisa Mphephu Mathebula, I want to thank you for always believing in me, inkomu ntombhi ya Kruger. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my respondents for your participation, I thank you.
INTRODUCTION
- Background of study
- Problem statement
- Rationale for the study
- Significance of the study
- Aim of the study
- Objectives
- Research questions
- Definitions of concepts
- Outline of the mini- dessertation
- Summary
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of myopia and its associated risk factors among Grade 8 students in Vhembe District. Prevalence in this study refers to the proportion of occurrence of myopia among high school students.
LITERATURE REVIEW
- Introduction
- Refractive error
- Types of myopia
- Prevalence of myopia
- Pisk factors of myopia
- Age
- Environmental factors
- Genetic factors
- Socio-economic factors
- Impact of myopia
- Management of myopia
- Summary
Furthermore, a greater difference was found in the prevalence of myopia in older school-age children of different ethnicities. In the same studies, the risk of myopia was found to increase in children with myopic siblings.
RESEARCH METHODS
- Introduction
- Research design
- Study setting
- Study population
- Sampling
- Sampling of schools
- Sampling of respondents…
- Inclusion criteria
- Sampling size
- Sampling procedure
- Data collection tools
- Questionnaire
- Assessment form
- Reliability and validity of the instrument
- Validity
- Reliability
- Calibration of equipment
- Assessment
- Pre- test
- Data collection process
- Self-administered questionnaire
- Assessment of children
- Eye examination
- Data management and analysis
- Ethical considerations
- Informed consent and assent form
- Protection from harm
- Right to privacy
- Anonymity and confidentiality
- Dissemination of the results
- Summary
Again the names of girls on the attendance register were numbered on pieces of paper and put in a bowl, shaken and the researcher chose one name without looking in the bowl. The results were then recorded on the assessment form and the researcher ensured that the assessment forms were clipped together with the completed questionnaire of the same learner. The researcher disclosed all the information regarding the study to the learners by means of an information letter (Appendix A), so that they could make an informed decision about the study.
All information obtained during the review was securely stored in a location restricted to the researcher and supervisors only. The researcher also ensured that no information obtained during the study could be linked to the student.
PRESENTATION OF STUDY RESULTS
Introduction
Demographic factors
The total number of students who gave the age of their fathers was 280, and 17 did not give an answer.
Family history
The prevalence of myopia was found to be high in respondents whose mothers were aged 40–49, which was 60% (18). For those respondents whose fathers' educational level was elementary school, the prevalence of myopia was 3.3% (1), for those who attended high school, the prevalence of myopia was 30% (9) and for those who had a higher education the prevalence of myopia was high at 40% (12). 47 The prevalence of myopia was 40% (20) among respondents who said there was someone with low vision in the home and 60% (18) among those who did not have family members with low vision.
The prevalence of myopia was 70% (21) among respondents who said they do no other outdoor activities after school, and 30% (9) was found among those who spent their time doing other activities in nature. For those who spent 30 minutes - 1 hour doing other outdoor activities, the prevalence of myopia was found to be 13.3% (4). The present study investigated the prevalence of myopia through the use of an assessment form.
Furthermore, the prevalence of myopia in the present study was found to be higher among employed parents than in unemployed counterparts.
Socio-economic status of participant's parents
Employment status of parents
There were students who indicated that their mother was employed, while respondents indicated that their mother was unemployed.
Environmental factors
36 From the results in Table 4, there were respondents who indicated that they do not spend time outdoors at all.
Eye examination of the respondents
- Unaided visual acuity
- Diagnosis
The number of respondents who had hypermetropia was equal to that of astigmatism, which were 5 (1.7%).
Association between demographic factors and refractive error
Association between refractive error and parental age and level of education…
42 Table 10 Association between refractive error and parents' level of education (n=297) Highest level of education of father.
Association between refractive error and employment status of parents
The prevalence of myopia among respondents spending 30 minutes -1 hour was zero, while among those spending 1 - 2 hours, the prevalence was zero. Demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic risk factor variables associated with the prevalence of myopia are also discussed. In addition to geographic differences, this study hypothesizes that age is crucial in determining the prevalence of myopia.
However, it was determined that there was a higher prevalence of myopia in private school (Mahlahle Combine School) than in public schools (Mphambo, Nhlaluko and PP Hlungwani). The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of myopia and the risk factors associated with myopia among high school children.
Association between refractive error and participant's history of eye examination
Association between refractive error and eye family history…
The chi-square p-value was found to be 0.000 when respondents were asked if there was anyone in the family with poor vision. There was no association between refractive error and who has poor vision at home, and the chi-square p-value was 0.320. Among those who said their mothers had poor vision, the prevalence of myopia was 3.3%, and among those who said other family members had poor vision, the prevalence was 3.3% (1).
Association between refractive error and time spent indoors
The prevalence of myopia among respondents who spent more than 2 hours reading and writing was 10% (3) and those who said they spent no time reading and writing was zero. When comparing the time spent on refractive error computing, the chi-squared p-value was found to be 0.000. Among the respondents who used computers for more than 2 hours, the prevalence was 13.3% (4) and 70% (21) among those who did not use a computer.
Among respondents who spent 30 minutes - 1 hour indoors for other activities, the prevalence of myopia was 40% (12), while those who spent 1 - 2 hours had more than 2 hours and none , the prevalence is the same, 20 percent. (6) for each. 50 4.14 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REFRACTIVE ERROR AND TIME SPENT OUTDOOR Time spent outdoors was compared to refractive error and the chi-square p-value was.
Association between refractive error and time spent outdoors
Summary…
DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY RESULTS
Introduction
Prevalence of myopia
This assumption of myopia decreasing with age contrasts with population-based RE studies in South Africa, China, India, and Chile, which reported increasing rates of myopia with age in children aged 5–15 years. The geographical location of the study area (Malamulele) of this study, which is a semi-urban town, may have contributed to the lower 10.1% prevalence of myopia. In support of this, Saxen et al. 2015) confirmed that although there are no large-scale studies in India to assess the prevalence of myopia in the school-aged population, the available studies show higher prevalence rates in urban areas compared to rural areas.
This study also found that myopia is more common in men than in women. In addition, the reason for the above was given by the multivariate analysis of the COMET study, which found that men have a slower rate of myopia progression than women, which supports the previous conflict of increased prevalence of myopia in women aged 20–39 years.
Eye history of the child and family history
Socio-economic status of parents
A similar study supported the present findings as it suggested that data on ocular dimensions (for example, axial length) may be useful in further understanding the anatomical mechanisms of myopia associated with higher education, working close to work, and higher socioeconomic status (Tham et al., 2018). An example was given by Raman et al. 2019), who stated that the onset and progression of myopia among medical students and clinically macroscopically are related to changes in axial lengths and vitreous chamber depths, suggesting possible associations between higher education and close work with axial myopia. In a previous study of Chinese adults living in Singapore, it was also reported that those with higher education, close jobs (eg managers, professionals and office workers) and higher incomes, as well as those who lived in good housing , were more likely to have a myopic refraction (Hou et al., 2018).
In contrast to the current study, Mohammed-Aleman (2018) found that patients living in a neighborhood whose median household income was between $25,000 and $49,000 had a lower rate of myopia compared to those in the neighborhood of whose median household income was less than $25,000. Therefore, the current study suggests that both individual as well as community-level socioeconomics are predicted to play a role in determining the risk of myopia, and further study is needed to distinguish the relative influence of each factor.
Environmental factors
57 Previous studies have demonstrated an association between myopia and work-related activities such as studying, reading, and screen time in children. Animal experiments suggest that near work can result in hyperopic defocus of the retina leading to excessive growth of the eye, with resultant myopia. Furthermore, the CLEERE study group consistently showed in their longitudinal study that near work activities in children who became myopic differed from emmetropic children before myopia, claiming that near work may be a causative factor for myopia.
This then testifies that one of the most popular and influential associations are outdoors. In health promotion, many studies have shown that time spent away from home has a negative or protective association with myopia (Paudel et al., 2014). Conducted a meta-analysis to review the published reports of the association between time spent away from home and nearsightedness in children under 20 years of age.
Conclusion
In addition, time spent outdoors protects against myopia, possibly through light stimulation of retinal dopamine, which discourages axial growth. Their results not only confirmed that increasing the time spent outdoors reduces the risk of developing myopia, but the combined information showed a 2% reduction in the likelihood of myopia for every additional hour spent outdoors per week. Therefore, it offers a practical intervention to prevent myopia with many other health benefits associated with outdoor activities.
Recommendations
Summary
59 This recommended clinical research will center on randomized trials to prevent or delay myopia progression (topical eye drops, rigid contact lenses) and to correct myopia (refractive surgery trials). Prevalence of myopia and its risk factors in urban school children in Delhi: the North India Myopia Study (NIM Study). All the information collected will be kept confidential and you do not have to share your answers in the questionnaire with anyone else.
In this letter, all information regarding the study will be explained so that you can make a decision about whether or not you want to participate. If you decide to participate, you will receive a consent form to sign as an indication that you have agreed to participate in the study. Children found to have eye diseases and refractive errors that require further treatment will be referred to nearby institutions.
All costs of the study are borne by the researcher and not by the respondents.
