Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 21, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 161-174

Visual Health and Visual Healthcare Access in Refugees and Displaced Persons: A Systematic Review (Review)

Bal S.* , Duckles A. , Buttenheim A.
  • a Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • b Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • c School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States

Abstract

Vision impairment is a significant global health concern. Still, there remains a gap in our knowledge of visual health in refugees. We conducted a systematic review of the distinctive eye care needs of refugees. We screened PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science through February 17, 2017 for studies that focused primarily on visual health in refugees. Risk of bias was assessed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment tools. 26 studies were included in the final review. The prevalence of blindness ranged from 1.3 to 26.2%. Trachoma was the leading infectious cause. Only four studies assessed vision-related care. Time/location of displacement, social unrest, and sanitation impacted severity of eye disease. Refugees have unique eye care needs. Public health interventions should target eye care at every stage of displacement. Providers may use these results to inform future research and improve visual healthcare access in refugee groups. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

Vision refugees Refugee eye care Vision displaced persons Blindness refugee

Index Keywords

statistics and numerical data Needs Assessment time factor Time Factors Humans visual disorder refugee Vision Disorders Health Services Accessibility blindness trachoma standards organization and management human sanitation Refugees health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85047920903&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-018-0766-x&partnerID=40&md5=533bfdc8d70667e63d10eff6a9675e5c
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-018-0766-x
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English