Prevalence And Associated Factors Of Visual Impairment Among School-Age Children In Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Visual impairment (VI) is one of the major public health problems in the world. It is highly prevalent among children in sub-Saharan countries, including Ethiopia. Worldwide, the magnitude of VI among school-age children is 1%-10%. However, there was limited information regarding the prevalence and associated factors of VI among school-age children in the study area, which is essential to plan and implement appropriate interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of VI among school-age children livin g in Bahir Dar city, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: <0.05 in the multivariate model were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 601 study subjects were included in this study, giving a response rate of 95.2%. The median age was 13 (IQR 11-16) years, and 303 (50.3%) were male. Prevalence of VI was 52 (8.7%, 95% CI 6.2%-10.7%). In multivariate analysis, prematurity [AOR 2.8 (95% CI 1.19-6.83)], admission to a neonatal intensive-care unit (AOR 5.5, 95% CI 2.01-15.15), having a parent with VI (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 0.13-0.97), watching television from <2 m (AOR 8.7, 95% CI 1.49-18.24), and mobile-phone exposure >4 hours per day (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.32-4.45) were factors significantly associated with VI. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of VI among school-age children in Bahir Dar was significant. Premature birth, admission to a neonatal intensive-care unit, having a parent with VI, watching television from <2 m, and mobile exposure >4 hours per day were significantly associated.