Maryam Oday Almuttairi
Mohammed Ejresh
Abstract :
Background: Visual acuity is essential for safe driving, enabling drivers to recognize road signs, detect hazards, and respond to traffic conditions. Impaired vision may compromise driving performance and increase accident risk. Factors such as age, gender, education, and corrective eyewear may influence visual acuity. This study aimed to assess visual-acuity values among drivers in Babil, Iraq, and examine their associations with sociodemographic characteristics and driving licence type to support improved vision screening and road safety
Objective: To assess recorded visual acuity values among drivers in Babylon, Iraq, and investigate their associations with demographic and driving-related characteristics, including age, gender, educational level, residence, driving licence type, and glasses use.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using 300 driver records from Babylon, Iraq. Data included demographic characteristics, driving licence type, glasses use, and recorded visual-acuity values for both eyes. Visual acuity was analyzed using the recorded categories, as the measurement scale and clinical interpretation were undocumented. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess associations. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A repeated identification number was identified and requires verification.
Results: The analysis revealed no statistically significant association between educational level and glasses use (p = 0.289) or between age group and glasses use (p = 0.410). Driving licence type was significantly associated with age group (p = 0.00034) and gender (p = 0.00074). Exploratory associations were observed between glasses use and recorded visual acuity in the right eye (p = 0.022; OR = 3.08) and left eye (p < 0.001; OR = 7.23), although these findings require verification of visual-acuity coding. No significant associations were found between educational level and right-eye visual acuity (p = 0.219), residence category and right-eye visual acuity (p = 0.359), or educational level and residence category (p = 0.086).
Conclusion: Age was significantly associated with visual acuity, while driving licence type was associated with age and gender. No significant associations were found between glasses use and age or education, or between residence and visual acuity. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between vision and road safety.