Visual efficiency among teenaged athletes and non-athletes

Omar, Rokiah and Yau, Meng Kuan and Zuhairi, Nurul Atikah and Abd Manan, Faudziah and Knight, Victor Feizal (2017) Visual efficiency among teenaged athletes and non-athletes. International Journal of Ophthalmology, 10 (9). pp. 1460-1464. ISSN 2222-3959 E-ISSN 2227-4898

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Abstract

AIM To compare visual efficiency, specifically accom-modation, vergence, and oculomotor functions among athletes and non-athletes. METHODS A cross-sectional study on sports vision screening was used to evaluate the visual skills of 214 elementary students (107 athletes, 107 non-athletes), aged between 13 and 16y. The visual screening assessed visual parameters such as ocular motor alignment, accommodation, and vergence functions. RESULTS Mean visual parameters were compared between age-group matched athletes (mean age 14.82±0.98y) and non-athletes (mean age 15.00±1.04y). The refractive errors of all participants were corrected to maximal attainable best corrected visual acuity of logMAR 0.0. Accommodation function assessment evaluated amplitude of accommodation and accommodation facility. Vergence functions measured the near point of convergence, vergence facility, and distance fusional vergence at break and recovery point. Ocular motor alignment was not statistically significant between both groups. Athletes had a statistically significant amplitude of accommodation for both the right eye (t=2.30, P=0.02) and the left eye (t=1.99, P=0.05). Conversely, non-athletes had better accommodation facility (t=-2.54, P=0.01) and near point of convergence (t=4.39, P<0.001) when compared to athletes. Vergence facility was found to be better among athletes (t=2.47, P=0.01). Nevertheless, non-athletes were significantly better for both distance negative and positive fusional vergence. CONCLUSION Although the findings are still inconclusive as to whether athletes had superior visual skills as compared to non-athletes, it remains important to identify and elucidate the key visual skills needed by athletes in order for them to achieve higher performance in their sports.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	7691/63099
Uncontrolled Keywords:	accommodation, phoria, vergence, athletes, non-athletes, sports
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare > HV40 Social service. Social work. Charity organization and practice
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences > Department of Optometry and Visual Science
Depositing User:	Engku Norulizati Engku Aziz
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2019 09:14
Last Modified:	12 Jul 2019 10:50
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/63099

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