Poor vision among China's rural primary school students: Prevalence, correlates and consequences

•In rural China, 24% of primary students suffer from poor vision in either eye.•Poor vision is correlated with individual, parental and family characteristics.•Poor vision has a possible adverse impact on math score and mental health.

Using a survey of 19,977 children in two provinces, this paper explores the prevalence, correlates and potential consequences of poor vision among children in China's vast but understudied rural areas. We find that 24% of sample students suffer from reduced uncorrected visual acuity in either eye and 16% in both eyes. Poor vision is significantly correlated with individual, parental and family characteristics, with modest magnitudes for all correlates but home province and grade level. The results also suggest a possible adverse impact of poor vision on academic performance and mental health, particularly among students with severe poor vision.