Prevalence of hyperopia in school-aged children in eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide the available data on the prevalence of childhood hyperopia in the eastern Mediterranean region (EMR).

Methods: The study used preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, 2020. The articles were searched in six online databases (Web of Sciences, Scopus, Index Medicus for the EMR, ProQuest, PubMed, and Medline). For studies published on the prevalence of hyperopia in the EMR from January 2000 to May 2022. The reviewed data were grouped by age, gender, and refractive measurement technique, hyperopia was defined as refractive error ≥2.00 diopter.

Results: The final meta-analysis contained 27 quality-assessed studies from 12 countries, covering 51, 987 children. The overall pooled prevalence of childhood hyperopia from 2000 to 2022 is 6.33% in EMR. The hyperopia prevalence was slightly higher among females at 4.34%, compared to males at 4.21%. The prevalence of hyperopia in younger children (5-10 years) was higher at 5.72%, and lower in older aged (11-17) years at 3.23%; P = 0.001. Furthermore, there was a higher hyperopia prevalence with cycloplegic refraction at 7.35% compared with noncycloplegic refraction at 3.93%. There was highly significant heterogeneity between the studies (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of hyperopia among children in the EMR was high compared to other regions, particularly in younger children. More studies are required using standardized methods in different regions where there is a lack of information on hyperopia prevalence. Early interventions are essential to be implemented in the EMR to protect future adults from the development of strabismus and amblyopia.