Amblyopia and strabismus: trends in prevalence and risk factors among young adults in Israel

Aims To estimate the prevalence of amblyopia, present strabismus and amblyopia risk factors (ARFs) among young adults in Israel and to analyse trends over time of prevalence rates. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study including 107 608 pre-enlistees aged 17.4±0.6 years born between 1971 and 1994. Across the birth years, the following trends of prevalence rates among young adults were analysed: prevalence of amblyopia, prevalence of strabismus, severity of amblyopia and prevalence of ARFs (strabismsus, anisometropia and isoametropia). Unilateral amblyopia was defined as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of Results The prevalence of young adulthood amblyopia declined by 33%, from 1.2% to 0.8% (R 2 =0.87, p 2 =0.93, p 2 =0.75, p Conclusion Among young adults, the prevalence of unilateral amblyopia, as well as the prevalence of present strabismus, decreased significantly over a period of a generation. The prevalence of strabismic, bilateral or severe (both unilateral and bilateral) amblyopia remained stable. The establishment of the national screening programme for children and the improved utility of treatment for amblyopia and strabismus coincide with these trends. Thus, it is possible that these early interventions resulted in modification of the ‘natural history’ of these conditions and their prevalence in adolescence.