AIM: To revise the referral criteria for the SPOT Vision Screener in children under 6 years old and assessed its accuracy based on the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus(AAPOS)uniform guidelines for instrument-based pediatric vision screen validation 2021.

METHODS: Children who visited the Maternal and Child Health Center of Yuhuatai District in Nanjing city from January 2022 to April 2023 were included in the study and underwent SPOT refractive screening, cycloplegic retinoscopy, and other examinations. Abnormal children were defined according to AAPOS guidelines with amblyopia risk factors(ARFs)and visually significant refractive error(VSRE). Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to calculate the optimal referral criteria and compared with manufacturer criteria, Wu's criteria, and Peterseim's criteria.

RESULTS: A total of 959 children were examined, with 342 in the <4-year-old group and 617 in the ≥4-year-old group. The optimal referral criteria for the <4-year-old group were myopia ≤-2.75 D, hyperopia ≥+2.25 D, astigmatism ≤-2.75 D, and anisometropia ≥1.00 D. For the ≥4-year-old group, the criteria were myopia ≤-1.75 D, hyperopia ≥+2.00 D, astigmatism ≤-2.25 D, and anisometropia ≥1.00 D. The Youden index was 0.38 and 0.52, respectively, which were higher than other criteria.

CONCLUSION: The use of new referral criteria for refractive screening in children under 6 years old demonstrates higher accuracy compared to previous criteria. It provides valuable guidance for pediatric eye care and vision health in children.