TWO-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S VISUAL ACUITY SCREENING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ALEXANDROUPOLIS
Published 2025 - 29th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: PO285 | Type: Free Paper | DOI: 10.82333/6vee-sc65
Authors: Minas Bakirtzis* 1 , Christina Mitsi 1 , Christos Giazitzis 1 , Eirini-Kanella Panagiotopoulou 1 , Georgios Anastasiadis 1 , Aise Adem 1 , Aristeidis Konstantinidis 1 , Doukas Dardabounis 1 , Georgios Labiris 1
1Ophthalmology,University Hospital of Alexandroupolis,Alexandroupolis,Greece
Purpose
This study aimed to screen the visual acuity of preschool children in the Municipality of Alexandroupolis.
Setting
This study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Methods
Conducted as a prospective epidemiological study, preschool children from kindergartens within the Municipality of Alexandroupolis were screened for visual acuity. Children were grouped by age (5 and 6 years old) for assessment, which took place within school facilities. Visual acuity was measured using the DDART digital chart, a validated web-based tool that employs the Tumbling E symbols.
Results
A total of 1772 children participated in the study, with 958 children aged 6 and 794 children aged 5, representing 86.52% of the preschool population under the Directorate of Primary Education of Alexandroupolis. Of the children assessed, 6.99% were identified as needing further ophthalmological evaluation. Among these, 5.75% exhibited low visual acuity likely due to refractive error, while 0.28% showed reduced acuity due to other ocular conditions.
Conclusion
Visual acuity screening in preschool children is crucial in primary ophthalmologic care, as it enables early detection of conditions requiring prompt intervention.