Effective Refractive Error Coverage (eREC) and Related Factors Among First-Year Medical Students at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in the Academic Year 2023–2024

  • Nguyen Ngoc Van Phuong, Nguyen Ngan Giang
Từ khóa: refractive error, effective refractive error coverage, medical students.

Tóm tắt

   Background: Uncorrected refractive error is a leading cause of visual impairment globally, significantly impacting socio-economic development. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends measuring the "effective refractive error coverage" (eREC) to assess the quality of eye care services. This study aimed to determine the eREC and its associated factors among first-year medical students at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam.

   Purpose: To determine the effective refractive error coverage (eREC) and some related factors in first-year medical students at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in the 2023-2024 academic year.

   Methods:  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 179 first-year students. Data were collected through surveys and visual acuity examinations and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The outcome variable is defined as effective refractive correction, determined when a student has uncorrected visual acuity below 6/12 in the better eye (or below 6/9 in the better eye according to the IAPB threshold) and corrected visual acuity above 6/12 in the better eye (or above 6/9 in the better eye according to the IAPB threshold).

   Results:

  • The eREC rate was 94.1% according to the WHO 6/12 threshold and 85.1% according to the IAPB 6/9 threshold.
  • Factors such as monthly spending (p=0.015) and the timing of the last eye examination (p=0.003) were significantly associated with eREC. Students with higher monthly spending and more recent eye examinations showed higher eREC rates, with statistically significant differences.

   Conclusions: The eREC rate among first-year medical students at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine is relatively high, eREC is related to students’ monthly spending and the timing of their most recent eye examination. However, the University still needs to promote periodic eye examination and implement eye screening programs for the remaining courses besides first-year students. In addition, the study suggests directions for research in the future with larger, more representative sample sizes and longitudinal designs to find more factors with causal relationships.

DOI: 10.59715/pntjmp.4.3.5

điểm /   đánh giá
Phát hành ngày
2025-07-20
In ra
Tập. 4 Số. 3 (2025)
Chuyên mục
Nghiên cứu (Original Research)