Prevalence of Ocular Morbidity and Associated Factors Among Hearing Impaired Children at Embangweni School of the Deaf in Mzimba District, Malawi

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the prevalence of ocular morbidities and associated factors among hearing-impaired (HI) students at the Embangweni School for the Deaf in Mzimba, Malawi.

Methods

This was an institutional cross-sectional study of HI students at Embangweni School for the Deaf. A series of optometric and audiometric tests was performed, and the results were exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science for statistical analysis (SPSS) version 25. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to assess correlations and associations between variables. A P-value less significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

A total of 147 children comprising of 76 (51.7%) males and 71 (48.3%) females participated in this study. The prevalence of ocular conditions and visual impairment was 39 (26.5%) and 2 (1.4%), respectively. The Prevalence of eye disease was significantly associated with male sex (p=0.02) and type of HI (p=0.031). Allergic conjunctivitis 36 (24.5%) was the most common ocular condition, followed by refractive error 28 (19%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of ocular conditions among HI students was significant and associated with sex. Regular school vision screening of students with HI is highly advised to reduce the burden of visual impairment.

Plain Language Summary

Hearing impairment places a great burden on the sufferers. Ocular conditions among this population further disadvantages them in terms of education and personal development. The current study evaluated the prevalence of ocular conditions among school children at the Embangweni School of the Deaf. We observed that there is high prevalence of eye conditions among this population which was more prevalent among the males. Conjunctivitis was the most prevalent ocular condition. There is a great need for regular vision screening for this population for early detection and management of ocular conditions among them.

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Most cited references 34

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Refractive error blindness.

R Dandona, L Dandona (2001)

Recent data suggest that a large number of people are blind in different parts of the world due to high refractive error because they are not using appropriate refractive correction. Refractive error as a cause of blindness has been recognized only recently with the increasing use of presenting visual acuity for defining blindness. In addition to blindness due to naturally occurring high refractive error, inadequate refractive correction of aphakia after cataract surgery is also a significant cause of blindness in developing countries. Blindness due to refractive error in any population suggests that eye care services in general in that population are inadequate since treatment of refractive error is perhaps the simplest and most effective form of eye care. Strategies such as vision screening programmes need to be implemented on a large scale to detect individuals suffering from refractive error blindness. Sufficient numbers of personnel to perform reasonable quality refraction need to be trained in developing countries. Also adequate infrastructure has to be developed in underserved areas of the world to facilitate the logistics of providing affordable reasonable-quality spectacles to individuals suffering from refractive error blindness. Long-term success in reducing refractive error blindness worldwide will require attention to these issues within the context of comprehensive approaches to reduce all causes of avoidable blindness.

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Addressing the Rising Prevalence of Hearing Loss

World Organization, O World Health, World Health Organizaton … (2018)

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Is Open Access

Access to health care for people with disabilities in rural Malawi: what are the barriers?

Josephine A. K. Harrison, Rachael Thomson, Hastings T. Banda … (2020)

Background People with disabilities experience significant health inequalities. In Malawi, where most individuals live in low-income rural settings, many of these inequalities are exacerbated by restricted access to health care services. This qualitative study explores the barriers to health care access experienced by individuals with a mobility or sensory impairment, or both, living in rural villages in Dowa district, central Malawi. In addition, the impact of a chronic lung condition, alongside a mobility or sensory impairment, on health care accessibility is explored. Methods Using data from survey responses obtained through the Research for Equity And Community Health (REACH) Trust’s randomised control trial in Malawi, 12 adult participants, with scores of either 3 or 4 in the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) questions, were recruited. The WGSS questions concern a person’s ability in core functional domains (including seeing, hearing and moving), and a score of 3 indicates ‘a lot of difficulty’ whilst 4 means ‘cannot do at all’. People with cognitive impairments were not included in this study. All who were selected for the study participated in an individual in-depth interview and full recordings of these were then transcribed and translated. Results Through thematic analysis of the transcripts, three main barriers to timely and adequate health care were identified: 1) Cost of transport, drugs and services, 2) Insufficient health care resources, and 3) Dependence on others. Attitudinal factors were explored and, whilst unfavourable health seeking behaviour was found to act as an access barrier for some participants, community and health care workers’ attitudes towards disability were not reported to influence health care accessibility in this study. Conclusions This study finds that health care access for people with disabilities in rural Malawi is hindered by closely interconnected financial, practical and social barriers. There is a clear requirement for policy makers to consider the challenges identified here, and in similar studies, and to address them through improved social security systems and health system infrastructure, including outreach services, in a drive for equitable health care access and provision.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Clin Optom (Auckl)

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Clin Optom (Auckl)

Journal ID (publisher-id): opto

Title: Clinical Optometry

Publisher: Dove

ISSN (Electronic): 1179-2752

Publication date (Electronic): 03 May 2024

Publication date Collection: 2024

Volume: 16

Pages: 115-122

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Optometry, Mzuzu University , Mzuzu, Malawi

[2 ]Department of Ophthalmology, Mzimba North District Hospital , Mzimba, Malawi

[3 ]Optometry Unit, Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Saint Augustine Campus , Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

Author notes

Correspondence: Grace Obumneke Ogbonna, Department of Optometry, Mzuzu University, P/Bag 201, Mzuzu, Malawi, Email Ogbonnagrace19@gmail.com

Author information

Thokozani Mzumara http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0011-269X

Ngozika Esther Ezinne http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3138-0213

Article

Publisher ID: 444216

DOI: 10.2147/OPTO.S444216

PMC ID: 11075696

PubMed ID: 38716043

SO-VID: 667ea7e1-f7fd-4737-8300-59addb054a63

License:

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms ( https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).

History

Date received : 28 November 2023

Date accepted : 25 April 2024

Page count

Figures: 1, Tables: 2, References: 34, Pages: 8

Funding

Funded by: outreach funds from Canadian Vision Care (CVC);

The data collection for this study was funded by outreach funds from Canadian Vision Care (CVC).

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Prevalence of Ocular Morbidity and Associated Factors Among Hearing Impaired Children at Embangweni School of the Deaf in Mzimba District, Malawi

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Pediatric Pulse: Advancing Neonatal and Child Health

Most cited references 34

Refractive error blindness.

Addressing the Rising Prevalence of Hearing Loss

Access to health care for people with disabilities in rural Malawi: what are the barriers?

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