Objective  To examine the status of visual health among primary and middle school students in minority regions and compare the status with that of the Han students in non-minority regions for providing evidences to the development of strategies on visual health promotion of the minority students.

  Methods  The data on 59 189 primary students of grade 4 – 6 and junior high school students were extracted from a visual health promotion program conducted from 2018 to 2020 in minority regions (5 counties of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and non-minority regions mainly with Han populations (10 counties of Shaanxi province). The data included vision examination results and self-reported visual health-related information for 24 054 students in minority regions and 35 135 in non-minority regions. Multivariate logistic regression model was adopted in data analyses.

  Results  The prevalence rate of poor vision was 28.86% and 41.40% in the students in minority and non-minority regions, respectively. The prevalence of poor vision of the students in minority regions was significantly lower than that of the students in non-minority regions (P < 0.001). Compared to those in non-minority regions, the students with poor vision in minority regions reported a significantly lower rate of glasses wearing (8.04% vs. 30.31%, P < 0.001). Both the rate of poor vision and the rate of glasses wearing for poor eyesight were significantly higher among the girl and junior middle school students and the students with mothers staying at home frequently and high paternal education (P < 0.001 for all). After adjusting for various variables, the poor vision students in non-minority regions were more likely to have glasses wearing in comparison to the students in minority regions (P < 0.001).

  Conclusion  There were significant disparities in the prevalence rate of poor vision and the rate of glasses wearing for poor vision between the primary and junior high school students in minority and non-minority regions. The students in minority regions had a lower rate of poor vision and an even more lower rate of glasses wearing for poor vision and the situation should be concerned.