Dataset Information

Missed Vision Screenings for School-Age Children During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Based Study of NASN Representatives.

ABSTRACT: During the 2020-21 academic year, COVID-19-related educational disruptions impacted school-based vision screenings. However, limited information regarding changes in vision screening and the number of students impacted has been reported. Delayed screenings can negatively impact students' referral to eye care providers, which may affect a child's ability to see clearly and academic success. This study aims to describe changes in school-based vision screening practices through a survey of National Association of School Nurses state representatives (n = 49). Among states with vision screenings mandates, participants reported that 23.7% (9/38) states waived screenings, 31.6% (12/38) continued screenings, and 36.8% (14/38) modified requirements, such as grades screened or assessments included (e.g., color vision and stereoacuity screenings). These results suggest that millions of students across the United States missed vision screenings during the 2020-21 academic year. Efforts by education and school health stakeholders should be directed towards addressing the pandemic-related disruption in vision screening.

SUBMITTER: Antonio-Aguirre B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9346437 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Missed Vision Screenings for School-Age Children During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Based Study of NASN Representatives.

Antonio-Aguirre Bani B Emge Gina G Collins Megan M

The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses 20220802 2

During the 2020-21 academic year, COVID-19-related educational disruptions impacted school-based vision screenings. However, limited information regarding changes in vision screening and the number of students impacted has been reported. Delayed screenings can negatively impact students' referral to eye care providers, which may affect a child's ability to see clearly and academic success. This study aims to describe changes in school-based vision screening practices through a survey of National ...[more]

PMID: 35915998

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Project description:BackgroundThere is concern about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial functioning among school-age children, who have faced unusual stressors during this time. Our goal was to assess mental health symptoms and social risks during COVID-19, compared to before the pandemic, for urban, racial and ethnic minority school-age children, and investigate the relationship between mental health and social risks.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study from September 2019 until January 2021 of children age 5-11 years old recruited from an urban safety net hospital-based pediatric primary care practice. We measured emotional and behavioral symptoms (including attention, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms) before and during the pandemic with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17). We measured social risks (including food and housing insecurity) before and during the pandemic with the THRIVE screener. We measured additional mid-pandemic COVID-related stressors with items on school participation, screens/media use, illness exposure, and caregiver mental health. We compared pre- and mid-pandemic PSC-17 symptom scores across 4 domains (total, attention, internalizing, and externalizing) and used path analysis to examine the relationship between mental health and social risks pre- and mid-pandemic.ResultsCaregivers of 168 children (54% non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic, and 22% non-English speaking) completed the study. Children had significantly higher levels of emotional and behavioral symptoms midpandemic- vs. pre-pandemic in all domains. Significantly more children had a positive PSC-17 total score (18% vs. 8%, p < 0.01) and internalizing (depression and anxiety) score (18% vs. 5%, p < 0.001) during the pandemic vs. before, indicating clinical concerns in these areas. Caregivers reported significantly more social risks during vs. before the pandemic (p < 0.001). Mental health symptoms significantly correlated with number of social risks before the pandemic, but not during the pandemic. Less school assignment completion, increased screen time, and caregiver depression were all significantly associated with worse mid-pandemic mental health in children.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in depression/anxiety problems and social risks among urban, racial and ethnic minority school-age children compared to before the pandemic. More research is needed to understand if these changes will persist.

Project description:The Government of Bangladesh imposed a movement control order as a mass quarantine strategy to control the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Adherence to the home quarantine may put children at risk by missing routine vaccination. In this study, we investigated the impact of COVID-19 on child routine immunization in a rural area of Bangladesh and consider the broader implications. Data for this study comes from the Chakaria Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) of icddr,b with a population of 90,000 people residing in 16,000 households in 49 villages in a rural, coastal area of Southeast Bangladesh. We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design which involved two phases between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020: first, we observed 258 outreach sessions of 86 EPI centers. We calculated the number of Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) outreach sessions suspended and the number of children who missed their routine vaccination due to the COVID-19. We extrapolated the number of Bangladeshi children who missed their routine vaccination using Chakaria HDSS observations. Secondly, we conducted in-depth interviews to explain the quantitative results. The EPI outreach session (EOS) declined to 74.42% (95% CI 63.97-83.22), 10.45% (95% CI 5.00-18.94), and 3.45% (95% CI 1.00-9.75) from 2019 levels in March, April, and May 2020, respectively. By extrapolation, in Bangladesh, between March and May 2020, 3.2 million children missed their scheduled vaccination compared to 2019. Results from in-depth interviews showed that the unwillingness of villagers to hold EOS and the absenteeism of the vaccinators due to social distancing recommendations and lack of personal safety measures were the main reasons for the discontinuation of the EOS. Resuming EPI outreach sessions and introducing a special catch-up program is essential to prevent future outbreaks and deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases in Bangladesh and the countries where children missed their routine vaccination due to COVID-19. This health system failure should be considered a factor in all future pandemic preparedness plans.

Dataset Information

Missed Vision Screenings for School-Age Children During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Based Study of NASN Representatives.

Publications

Missed Vision Screenings for School-Age Children During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Based Study of NASN Representatives.

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