Background: The rapid increase increased, in using of video display terminals during the COVID-19 pandemic predisposes users to a variety of health problems restricted to visual problems and including various musculoskeletal problems, collectively known as computer vision syndrome (CVS) or computer vision syndrome. Aim: This study aims to ascertain university students’ awareness of computer vision syndrome at Al-Baha University, including the nature, sources, accuracy, and completeness of information, as well as the attitudes towards CVS, and mitigative practices. Methods: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and a convenient sample of 310 (80.0% male) students drawn from Al Baha University campuses. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Results: The mean age of the participants was 23.51 years (SD=5.42). The results show that 78.7%, 66.1%, and 11.6% received CVS information from social media, mass media, and family, respectfully. Despite 70% of respondents being aware of CVS manifestations, between 42% to 67% of those sampled had accurate and complete information about the meaning, causes, prevention, and management of the syndrome. More than a third of the participants had either a good (62.9%) or average (29%) total knowledge of CVS. Less than 15% had incorrect information. On average, 62.5% of respondents engaged in preventive or mitigative behaviours/activities as opposed to 37.5% who did not, but only 44% believed CVS was a serious health threat. 65.2% of the studied students had a satisfactory total practice score. The regression analysis showed that the coefficients of marital status and faculty were a statistically significant association with the total knowledge score. Conclusion: CVS awareness is acceptably high, but there is a low preventive/mitigative behaviors as well as a low realization of CVS’ long-term health problems. This is why increasing CVS awareness and implementing interventions such as the 20-20-20 rule could be effective at Al Baha University.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is widely used in ophthalmic clinic, including in diagnosis, surgery, prosthetics, medications, drug development and delivery, and medical education. Articles published in 2011–2022 into bioinks, printing technologies, and bioprinting applications in ophthalmology were reviewed and the strengths and limitations of bioprinting in ophthalmology highlighted. The review highlighted the trade-offs of printing technologies and bioinks in respect to, among others, material type cost, throughput, gelation technique, cell density, cell viability, resolution, and printing speed. There is already widespread ophthalmological application of bioprinting outside clinical settings, including in educational modelling, retinal imaging/visualization techniques and drug design/testing. In clinical settings, bioprinting has already found application in pre-operatory planning. Even so, the findings showed that even with its immense promise, actual translation to clinical applications remains distant, but relatively closer for the corneal (except stromal) tissues, epithelium, endothelium, and conjunctiva, than it was for the retina. This review similarly reflected on the critical on the technical, practical, ethical, and cost barrier to rapid progress of bioprinting in ophthalmology, including accessibility to the most sophisticated bioprinting technologies, choice, and suitability of bioinks, tissue viability and storage conditions. The extant research is encouraging, but more work is clearly required for the push towards clinical translation of research.

Aim: This study measured and evaluated the socioeconomic burden of people living with keratoconus in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design, a Keratoconus Economic Burden Questionnaire, and a convenient sample of 89 keratoconus patients (58.4% male) drawn from multiple regions in Saudi Arabia. It was conducted using online surveys, and the data were analyzed using appropriate quantitative techniques. Results: The mean age and annual income of the participants were 33.24 (SD = 6.82) years and USD 9046.52 (SD = 16,866.48), respectively, with only 37% being employed for wages. Up to 94.4% needed glasses or contact lenses at least once a week, and 73.0% received care from optometrists. The condition forced 45.9% of the respondents to change careers or leisure activities, with a further 51.3% having to take time off work. The mean annual out-of-pocket expenses for buying and maintaining glasses or contact lenses, as well as traveling and accommodation for keratoconus-related treatment were USD 2341.76 (SD = 3053.09), with 48.32 incurring upwards of USD 3240 over the period. The treatment costs increased with disease duration, r(89) = 0.216, p < 0.05. Regression results showed that the existence of comorbid eye disease, changing glasses at least once a year, and wearing either glasses or contact lenses at least once a week individually had statistically significant negative effects on the total annual keratoconus treatment costs, while disease duration, utilization of optometrists, and taking time off had a statistically significant increase on the total cost (p < 0.05). Conclusion: With a prevalence rate of 1 in 375, progressive debilitation, and the lifetime nature of the disease, keratoconus is a critical public health concern in Saudi Arabia. The resulting visual impairment and discomfort, as well as both direct and indirect economic burdens, have considerable impacts on the patient’s quality of life.

This study sought to translate the Keratoconus Outcomes Research Questionnaire (KORQ) and using it to measure and evaluate the quality of life of a sample of people with keratoconus in KSA. A cross-sectional online survey of patients with keratoconus, drawn by convenience sampling from across several regions of KSA, was conducted. The data were analysed with appropriate quantitative techniques. Ninety-one patients with keratoconus (57.1% men; mean age = 33.25 ± 6.72 years) from five regions of KSA completed the survey. A total of 78.1% of the cases were diagnosed when the respondents were 15–29 years of age. Of the 91 participants, 11%, 27%, and 30% reported no, mild, and moderate interference with activities, whereas 17% and 15% reported substantial activity limitations. Regarding symptoms, 8%, 20%, and 24% reported no, mild, and moderate symptoms, whereas 23% and 25% reported substantial and extreme symptoms, respectively. Pearson rank correlation analysis indicated strong and statistically significant coefficients among the coded scores for symptoms, activity limitations and demographic factors. Regression analysis of the relationship between the scores for symptoms/activity limitations and demographic factors indicated that only the scores for visual acuity, eye with keratoconus, and geographic region were statistically significant at 5%. Visual acuity while wearing glasses or lenses and the odds of having poor QoL score were higher in both the left and right eyes [23.85 (95% CI, 4.21 to 135.24) and 6.0 (95% CI, 1.12 to 32.12), respectively]. Unknown visual acuity is associated with greater odds of higher annoyance scores [4.69 (95% CI, 1.06 to 20.62) and 13.63 (95% CI, 2.74 to 67.74), respectively]. Patients experience substantial impairments in their daily lives that could potentially be mitigated by addressing visual acuity, specific (left, right or both) eyes with keratoconus, and regional variables.

Background: Vision impairments are harder to diagnose among children, even though detection in childhood offers the biggest window for arresting potentially irreversible impacts on children’s socioemotional and educational performance. Purpose: This study sought to determine the prevalence of vision impairments in school-going children in Saudi Arabia and gap between the knowledge of visual impairments in school-going children and parental care-seeking practices relating to the effectiveness of school-based eye health screening programs, implementation challenges, and best practices. Methods: The study uses a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in December 2024 to January 2025. Results: The present study analyzed primary 35 studies (n = 30,277). While estimates varied materially across regions and demographics, the most prevalent eye conditions affected school-going children were (un)corrected refractive errors and amblyopia. The prevalence of refractive errors, hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism was 27.43% [18.14,39.20], 13.01% [4.00,33.00], 8.59% [3.53,19.42], and 15.35% [4.97,38.62], respectively. Amblyopia and strabismus affected 0.07 [0.04, 0.11] and 0.05[0.01,0.18] of the population, respectively. Even so, only 23.87% [10.91,44.54] of children already had glasses or contact lenses, despite more than 61.74, 95% [46.78, 74.77] of parents being open to children having glasses/lenses. Routine screening was estimated at in 38.85%, CI [28.99, 49.71.79]. Gerental awareness about eye health and specific vision impairments is inadequate, inconsistent, and broadly varied. School-based screening is equally basic or need to be officially established. Conclusion: Children’s immature ocular system offers good opportunities for intervening before reduced (or loss of) vision can materially affect quality of life, and education-work-life opportunities. With near universal primary school enrolment and continual engagements between children and education practitioners, schools offer an ideal institutional framework for early vision screening and intervention.

The African Vision and Eye Health journal publishes original peer-reviewed papers of scientific and clinical research in optometry, ophthalmology, vision science and other related fields.