RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Correcting Myopia Among Secondary School Children to Increase Academic High School Attendance Rates in Rural Communities

This study focuses on children in rural China, where many have poor eyesight but don't have glasses. Previous research has shown that free glasses can greatly improve school grades, even more than other factors like family income. This new study aims to see if providing free glasses, along with teacher support to encourage wearing them, can help more children continue their education and attend academic high school instead of leaving school early. Researchers will work with 111 middle schools, giving free glasses to some students and just prescriptions to others. They will track how many children from each group go on to academic high school. The goal is to provide strong evidence to the Chinese government, hoping to convince them to create national programs that provide free glasses for all children who need them.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Queen's University, Belfast

Enrolment target

10,000

Start

28 Nov 2024

Estimated completion

01 Jul 2027

Refractive Errors

What is this study about?

Imagine you're trying to learn in school but can't quite see the blackboard or your textbook clearly. For many children in rural China, this is a daily challenge because they have short-sightedness (myopia) but don't have the glasses they need. Our team has already learned a lot from other studies, showing that when children get free glasses, their school grades get much better. In fact, wearing glasses seems to help their school performance even more than things like whether their parents went to university or how much money their family has.

Only about one in three children in these rural areas goes on to a regular, non-vocational high school. Many either go to vocational schools (which focus on job skills) or leave school altogether. This new study hopes to show just how much glasses can help children continue their education and attend academic high school. If we can provide strong proof of this, we hope the Chinese government will be encouraged to start nationwide programmes to give free glasses to all children who need them.

To do this, we'll be working with 111 middle schools in northern China. Children in the first year of these schools will be split into two groups. One group will receive free glasses and their teachers will help remind them to wear them. The other group will just get a prescription for glasses. We'll then look at how many children from each group go on to academic high school. We'll also be looking at other things, like how often children wear their glasses and if they use textbooks more than the blackboard, to better understand how good vision helps with learning. We will even look at the total cost of providing glasses per extra child attending high school.

Key takeaways

Many children in rural China need glasses but don't have them.
Previous studies show free glasses improve school grades significantly.
This study will see if glasses can help more children attend academic high school.
Researchers want to use the results to encourage national free glasses programmes.
The study involves giving some children free glasses and tracking their school progress.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for children aged 12-13 who are in their first year of middle school in specific areas of northern China. To join, a child's eyesight must be a little blurry without glasses, meaning they can't see small details as clearly as they should.

Specifically, their vision without glasses needs to be 6/12 or worse in both eyes. This means they might struggle to see things far away. Also, their eye test needs to show they have a certain level of short-sightedness (myopia) or an uneven shape to their eye (astigmatism) that can be corrected with glasses.

Importantly, once they put on glasses, their vision must be able to improve significantly in at least one eye, ideally to almost perfectly clear (6/7.5 or better). Children who have other serious eye conditions, apart from just needing glasses, unfortunately won't be able to take part.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Is your child in their first year of middle school?
Is your child between 12 and 13 years old?
Does your child struggle to see things far away without glasses?
Does an eye test show specific levels of short-sightedness or astigmatism?
Could your child's vision significantly improve with glasses?
Does your child have any other serious eye conditions besides needing glasses?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If a child takes part in this study, they will be randomly placed into one of two groups. One group will receive free glasses and their teachers will actively support them to wear them throughout the school day. The other group will receive a prescription for glasses, which their family can then use to get glasses if they wish.

Researchers will observe how often children wear their glasses at school. They will also track which children go on to attend academic high school three years later. Periodically, they will also collect information on how children learn in the classroom (for example, if they use textbooks or the whiteboard more), as well as their mental well-being and how their short-sightedness is changing over time. The total involvement for participants will last for three years.

Potential risks and benefits

There are potential benefits to taking part in this study. For children in the group receiving free glasses, they will immediately gain clearer vision, which could improve their learning, school performance, and overall quality of life. Even for the group receiving only a prescription, understanding their vision needs is valuable. There are no known physical risks associated with wearing glasses. The main risk might be the time commitment for school staff and the children involved in the observations and check-ups. All participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason, which will not affect their care or schooling.

Locations (3)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

He Eye Specialist Hospital
Verified postcode
Shenyang, China· Recruiting
Ningxia University
Verified postcode
Yinchuan, China· Not yet recruiting
Centre for Public Health
Verified postcode
Belfast, United Kingdom· Not yet recruiting

Common questions

What is myopia?

Myopia is a common eye condition, often called short-sightedness or near-sightedness, where distant objects appear blurry, but close objects can be seen clearly.

Why is this study focusing on children in China?

Chinese children have very high rates of short-sightedness, and many in poorer rural areas don't have the glasses they need, which affects their schooling.

Will my child definitely get free glasses?

Not all children in the study will get free glasses. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive free glasses with support, or just a prescription for glasses.

How long will the study last?

The study will track children's progress for three years after they start in the programme.

If my child gets glasses, will they help them get into a better high school?

The study aims to find out if providing glasses can increase the number of children who attend academic high school, but it cannot guarantee individual results.

How to find out more

Nathan Congdon, MD, MPH

ncongdon1@gmail.com 07748751393 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.