Nepal Childhood Visual Impairment Study
Srijana Adhikari MD, ophthalmologist at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) in Nepal, conducts research on participation and physical activity and sleep patterns of children with visual impairment and blindness. It is the third PhD research project in the collaboration between the Low Vision Research group of Amsterdam UMC and TIO.
Researcher
Srijana Adhikari
Position
PhD candidate
PhD study
Nepal Childhood Visual Impairment Study (NCVIS)
Why are we doing this study?
Blindness is one of the leading causes of disabilities in children. The WHO has identified child blindness as one of the priority conditions in its Vision 2020 program. Most causes of blindness in children are preventable or treatable. There is only a handful of data on blind and partially sighted children in Nepal. In the Nepal Pediatric Ocular Disease Study (NPODS), a population-based study conducted from 2011 to 2015, it was found that 0.06% of children are blind and 0.1% have low vision. Studies on the quality of life of visually impaired children are lacking in Nepal. However, some studies show that children with blindness and low vision are less physically active.
Nepal has an integrated system of schools for blind and partially sighted children. Of the estimated 30,000 blind and 120,000 visually impaired children, only 3,000 attend these schools. To identify the participation needs of children, there should be a good measurement tool, such as the Dutch Participation and Activity Inventory for children and adolescents (PAI-CY). In the first part of the study, we want to focus on participation needs measured by means of the Nepalese PAI-CY. The second part of this study is about identifying problems in physical activity and sleep patterns measured with actimeters. Finally, these studies will also aim to identify the causes of visual impairment and blindness in children in Nepal.
What is the aim of the study?
Obtain information about the causes of visual impairment in Nepalese children.
To develop a Nepali version of the PAI-CY for assessing the participation needs of children with visual impairments.
Investigating the physical activity and sleep patterns of Nepalese children with a visual impairment compared to normally sighted children.
Investigating the quality of life of Nepalese children with a visual impairment.
How do we conduct this study?
Children are recruited from schools for the blind and partially sighted. At least 200 children will be invited. Five integrated schools will be selected in the Kathmandu Valley. Furthermore, children from the outpatient clinic of pediatric ophthalmology of the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology are invited to participate.
A trained field worker will conduct interviews with children and their parents/carers, as well as be responsible for completing questionnaires and applying actimeters. The ophthalmologist will also carry out a detailed ophthalmic examination of the children who participate in order to find out the causes of blindness and visual impairment.
Publications
Adhikari, S., van Nispen, R. M. A., Elsman, E. B. M., van Rens, F., & van Rens, G. H. M. B. (2022). Causes of moderate to severe visual impairment and blindness in Nepalese children: The Nepal Childhood Visual Impairment Study (NCVIS). Submitted.
Adhikari, S., Elsman, E. B. M., van Nispen, R. M. A., van Rens, F., Oli, R. U., Thapa, S. S., & van Rens, G. H. M. B. (2021). Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a Nepali version of the Dutch Participation and Activity Inventory for Children and Youth (PAI-CY) with visual impairment. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 5(1), 1-9.
Supervisory team
Prof.dr. Ger van Rens, Prof.dr. Ruth van Nispen, Dr. Ellen Elsman, Dr. Fleur van Rens