TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex and rural-urban differences in the prevalence of childhood visual impairment in Taiwan
T2 - A nationwide population-based study
AU - Lai, Der Chung
AU - Tseng, Yen Cheng
AU - Guo, How Ran
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital Research Program through grant R107-203 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - Background: Visual impairment (VI) is a major developmental disability in children, but data at the national level are limited. Aims: We conducted a nationwide study in Taiwan to assess the sex and rural-urban differences in VI. Methods and procedures: Using data from the national disability registry, we calculated prevalence rates by age, sex, and geographic area and assessed changes from 2004 to 2010. We excluded cases under 3 years old because the government discourages certification at this age. Outcomes and results: Between 2004 and 2010, the overall prevalence rate fluctuated between 3.48/10,000 and 3.66/10,000. Boys had higher prevalence rates in all years, and the boy-to-girl prevalence rate ratios ranged from 1.24 to 1.30 (p < 0.05 in all years), without an apparent time trend. The rates generally decreased over time in rural areas (p=0.008), but increased in urban areas (p=0.029); this resulted in a decreasing time trend (p = 0.001) in the rural-to-urban prevalence rate ratios (1.32 to 1.09; p < 0.05 except for 2010). Conclusions and implications: Boys are more likely to experience VI in Taiwan. Rural areas had higher prevalence rates than urban areas, but the difference has been decreasing over time. Identifying factors underlying this reduction may help the prevention of VI.
AB - Background: Visual impairment (VI) is a major developmental disability in children, but data at the national level are limited. Aims: We conducted a nationwide study in Taiwan to assess the sex and rural-urban differences in VI. Methods and procedures: Using data from the national disability registry, we calculated prevalence rates by age, sex, and geographic area and assessed changes from 2004 to 2010. We excluded cases under 3 years old because the government discourages certification at this age. Outcomes and results: Between 2004 and 2010, the overall prevalence rate fluctuated between 3.48/10,000 and 3.66/10,000. Boys had higher prevalence rates in all years, and the boy-to-girl prevalence rate ratios ranged from 1.24 to 1.30 (p < 0.05 in all years), without an apparent time trend. The rates generally decreased over time in rural areas (p=0.008), but increased in urban areas (p=0.029); this resulted in a decreasing time trend (p = 0.001) in the rural-to-urban prevalence rate ratios (1.32 to 1.09; p < 0.05 except for 2010). Conclusions and implications: Boys are more likely to experience VI in Taiwan. Rural areas had higher prevalence rates than urban areas, but the difference has been decreasing over time. Identifying factors underlying this reduction may help the prevention of VI.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103679
DO - 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103679
M3 - Article
C2 - 32422394
AN - SCOPUS:85084506928
SN - 0891-4222
VL - 103
JO - Research in Developmental Disabilities
JF - Research in Developmental Disabilities
M1 - 103679
ER -