School of Allied Health Academic, Dr Fleur van Rens has collaborated with leading researchers from across the globe to improve the health of children with visual impairment in Nepal

Dr van Rens has co-supervised recently conferred PhD Dr Srijana Adhikari, on a thesis entitled: ‘Nepalese Pediatric Vision Impairment Study’ at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Srijana, an ophthalmologist from Kathmandu, Nepal. In collaboration with researchers from the Amsterdam University Medical Centre (Prof. Dr. Ruth van Nispen, Dr. Ellen Elsman, Professor. Dr. Ger van Rens).

 In her thesis, Srijana established that there is a changing trend in the aetiology of childhood visual impairment and blindness in Nepal, with retinal diseases currently being the most common cause. Further, she found that 44% of all children with visual impairments and blindness in Nepal live with potentially preventable conditions. Importantly, Srijana compared the physical activity levels, sleep parameters and quality of life of children with a visual impairment and blindness to those of age and gender-matched peers. She found that, on average, children in both groups spent approximately 40% of their waking hours sedentary; and that the sleep duration of the children was much lower than the recommended duration of the respective age groups.

 Murdoch University’s co-promotor,  senior lecturer in sports psychology Dr Fleur van Rens says

 ‘Srijana’s research makes a range of unique contributions to our understanding of the physical activity levels, sleep parameters, and well-being of children with a visual impairment and blindness. In terms of physical activity, Srijana’s study identified that during school, children with a visual impairment or blindness were more sedentary than their age and gender-matched normally sighted peers. However, before school, children with a visual impairment or blindness were more engaged in physical activity than their peers. These findings point towards opportunities to improve the physical activity levels of children with visual impairment and blindness by tackling environmental restraints. In terms of sleep, Srijana identified that although children with a visual impairment or blindness were spending less time asleep, the quality of their sleep was higher than that of their normally sighted peers. This means that there are things we can learn from children with visual impairment and blindness to improve the sleep quality of normally sighted children.

 To investigate the quality of life of children with a visual impairment, Srijana translated and validated a questionnaire from Dutch to Nepali. She then used this questionnaire and showed that younger children with blindness have worse levels of participation and quality of life compared to children with a visual impairment and normally sighted children. For older children, a mixed pattern was present. This points towards the importance of low-vision rehabilitation interventions for these children.

 ‘Srijana achieved a mammoth task collecting the data for her thesis. In fact, it seems that Srijana’s sleep study was the largest comparative pediatric sleep study to be published to date. Her accomplishments are truly admirable, and an example of what is possible when experts from different disciplines and different countries come together to take steps to improve the wellbeing of children with a visual impairment and blindness’.Says Dr van Rens