Survey of the visual acuity and refractive status of children 4–6 years of age in a district of Nantong, China, from 2021–2023

Objective To understand the visual acuity and refractive development status of kindergarten children in Haimen District of Nantong City, China, and to provide reference for the development of vision protection for preschool children. Methods All kindergarten children 4–6 years of age were screened for vision and refraction from 2021–2023, and the results were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 56,755 children (113,510 eyes) were screened. Six-year-old children had significantly better visual acuity than 4- and 5-year-old children. The reduced visual acuity detection rate in girls (7.8%) was significantly higher than boys (7.3%; χ ² = 4.642; P = 0.031). Visual acuity was significantly higher in 6-year-old children than 5-year-old children in the previous year and significantly higher in 5 year olds than in 4 year olds in the previous year ( P < 0.001). The reduced visual acuity detection rate varied widely according to reference standards but there was consistency in the vision status of children, which showed a better trend year-after-year with an increase in age. The spherical and cylindrical equivalents were nearly the same in all age groups. The screening myopia detection rate in this survey was 0.1%. Conclusions Attention should focus on the eye care of preschool children to improve visual health of children and adolescents.