Prevalence of refractive errors in Vietnamese school children: a meta-analysis

Nguyen, Hai-Yen Thi, Ghorbani-Mojarrad, Neema, Cufflin, Matthew and Mallen, Edward 2026. Prevalence of refractive errors in Vietnamese school children: a meta-analysis. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 109 (3) , pp. 473-486. 10.1080/08164622.2025.2551751

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Abstract

Clinical Relevance The findings provide greater information on the level of refractive errors in Vietnam, which could assist clinicians and relevant stakeholders to identify high-risk groups and prioritise interventions and preventative measures, contributing to more efficient eye care and cost-effective strategies. Background/Aims Vietnam, a developing country in Southeast Asia, has shown an increase in myopia progression in recent years. However, the prevalence of refractive errors across the country is unclear. The aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of different refractions in children across Vietnam, and to explore differences between rural and urban areas, and male and female children. Methods A systematic literature search was performed to capture all studies up to April 2024, using online databases including Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. This was carried out independently by two researchers, following the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024524780). The quality assessment of included studies was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool checklist. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled refractive error prevalence, with robustness evaluated using 95% confidence intervals and sensitivity analyses. Results 15 school-based studies were identified (children n = 32,211), of which 6 qualified for meta-analysis inclusion (n = 15,825). The pooled refractive error, myopia, and hyperopia prevalences were calculated respectively as 37.60% [95%CI: 27.78–47.43], 28.83% [95%CI: 19.24–38.42], and 0.41% [95%CI: 0.24–0.59] with high heterogeneities of 99%, p<0.01. Refractive error prevalence was greater in urban locations, and female children. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis of refractive error prevalence in Vietnamese school children indicates a significant presence of refractive error, especially myopia. However, the large interval ranges suggest that further research using a standardised protocol is required to achieve more accurate estimates.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Optometry and Vision Sciences
Publisher:	Informa UK Limited
ISSN:	0816-4622
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 August 2026
Date of Acceptance:	11 August 2025
Last Modified:	27 Aug 2026 13:01
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/189209

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