{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T09:04:26Z","timestamp":1770887066858,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO Press)","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int J Ophthalmol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>AIM: To ascertain the pattern of ocular morbidity in a population of primary school children in rural Kenya as it is a prerequisite for planning effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.\nMETHODS: A cross-sectional survey of ocular symptoms and clinical eye examinations were performed in a sample of 35 rural primary schools in the semi-arid region of Kajiado West sub-county in S.W. Kenya, amongst a semi-nomadic tribe (Maasai). Students in Grades 1-8 were included. Visual acuity was measured using the Snellen \u201ctumbling E\u201d chart at 6 m. Children with symptoms of refractive error underwent non-cycloplegic refraction.\nRESULTS: A total of 2036 children (1084 males) between the ages of 4-20y were examined. Conjunctival actinic changes were present in 22% (442\/2036). Nine cases were seen with a potential squamous carcinoma. No overt classical ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency were noted, although 181 (8.9%) children complained of nyctalopia. Three hundred thirty-six (16.5%) children had a visual acuity worse than 6\/12 in either eye, were unable to read N10 near text at 40 cm or had symptoms suggestive of refractive error. Refractive data led to an estimate of hyperopia of +1.00 D or more in 3.9% and of myopia of -0.50 D or more in either eye in 3.0% of the study population.\nCONCLUSION: Solar exposure- and dust-related conjunctival pathology is common. As this may develop into potentially sight- or even life-threatening conditions, it warrants further study, and preventive strategies may be needed. Complaints of nyctalopia were common and could suggest vitamin A deficiency. The prevalence of refractive errors is low in this rural African population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.18240\/ijo.2026.01.15","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]],"date-time":"2025-12-17T01:52:15Z","timestamp":1765936335000},"page":"115-122","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Epidemiological investigative report on ocular morbidity in children in rural Kenya"],"prefix":"10.18240","volume":"19","author":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi 00100, Kenya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marlene E.","family":"Long","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marina","family":"Marinkovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nanda","family":"Horeweg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brian W.","family":"Fleck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH2, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Martine J.","family":"Jager","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"7543","container-title":["International Journal of Ophthalmology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ijo.cn\/gjyken\/article\/pdf\/20260115","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T08:08:25Z","timestamp":1770883705000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ijo.cn\/gjyken\/article\/abstract\/20260115"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18240\/ijo.2026.01.15","relation":{},"ISSN":["2222-3959","2227-4898"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2222-3959","type":"print"},{"value":"2227-4898","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]]}}}