Iranian study stresses the importance of early vision screening in children
A comprehensive population-based study conducted in 2023 in Iran’s Qazvin province has revealed significant vision problems among school-entering children, with important implications for paediatric vision health screening programs.
Key Findings:
- Prevalence of vision problems: The study found that 2.2% of school-entering children were already wearing eyeglasses, with an additional 6.7% showing suspected visual problems, affecting nearly 1 in 10 children overall.
- Gender and urban disparities: Girls were 61% more likely to need eyeglasses than boys, while children in urban areas faced 90% higher odds of suspected vision problems compared to their rural counterparts.
- Strong genetic component: Children with a family history of vision disorders showed increased risks – those with affected siblings were 3.5 times more likely to need eyeglasses. In contrast, parental vision problems increased the odds by 90%.
- Age and health factors: Each additional year of the child’s age increased the risk of suspected vision problems by 39%, while maternal age showed a 3% increase in risk per year. Additionally, the odds of using eyeglasses increased 5% with each unit increase in children’s BMI, highlighting connections between overall health and vision outcomes.
- Regional health challenge: The 6.7% prevalence of suspected vision problems in Qazvin province aligns with previous non-peer-reviewed reports showing this region has twice the national average for childhood vision issues
These findings contribute to growing international evidence about childhood vision problems, with previous studies showing prevalence rates ranging from less than 1% in some Iranian regions to nearly 10% in Armenia. With myopia projected to affect 50% of the world’s population by 2050, the research emphasizes the importance of targeted early screening for high-risk individuals, particularly those with family histories of vision disorders, girls, children with higher BMI, and those in urban areas.
Reference: Alijanzadeh, M., et al. (2025). Prevalence of vision problems among school-entering children and association with socio-demographic characteristics: An Iranian population-based cross-sectional study. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2025.2484757
