Prevalence of refractive errors among school-going children in a multistate study in India

Joseph, Elizabeth; CK, Meena; Kumar, Rahul; Sebastian, Mary Philip; Suttle, Catherine; Congdon, Nathan; Sheeladevi, Sethu; Murthy, Gudlavalleti V S

doi:10.1136/bjo-2022-322123

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…7 Similarly, it is higher than the previous study done in Pokhara, 9 and in a multistate study in India which might be due to the smaller population size in this study. 10 The prevalence of refractive error in this study is 18.5%, which is higher than the study done in Palpa (9%). 11 Compared to a study done in 15000 children in 2010, myopia was predominant among males and hyperopia was predominant among females, however, this study of 3600 students Myopia was predominant among both males and females followed by astigmatism and hyperopia.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 68%

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Refractive Error among Children Visiting the Department of Paediatric Opthalmology of a Tertiary Eye Care Center

Gurung,

Kant Gupta

2023

J Nepal Med Assoc

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Introduction: Refractive error is the inability of eyes to focus clearly on images. Visual impairment due to refractive error has a major impact on children's education and daily activities. The hospital has no documentation of the ocular morbidity related to refractive errors in children. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of refractive error in children visiting the Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the Outpatient Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre from 8 September 2022 to 7 March 2023 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 3600 children, the prevalence of refractive error was seen in 668 children (18.56%) (15.61-21.51, 95% Confidence Interval). Refractive error was seen in 363 (54.34%) boys and 305 (45.66%) girls. Myopia was found in 340 (50.90%), astigmatism in 207 (30.99%), and hyperopia in 121 (18.11%). Conclusions: The prevalence of refractive error among children attending a tertiary care centre was found to be higher than studies done in similar settings. Regular screening of refractive error for visual impairment is recommended among school going children.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 68%

“… 7 Similarly, it is higher than the previous study done in Pokhara, 9 and in a multistate study in India which might be due to the smaller population size in this study. 10 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Refractive Error among Children Visiting the Department of Paediatric Opthalmology of a Tertiary Eye Care Center

Gurung,

Kant Gupta

2023

J Nepal Med Assoc

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“…In the available literature, there are several studies with a focus on the prevalence of refractive errors worldwide, including in India [8][9][10][11][12]. However, not many studies on the necessity of early screening have been conducted in northern India with sample sizes of more than 2000.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Refractive Errors Among School-Going Children in Urban Versus Rural Areas

Srivastava,

Kumar,

Shukla

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Background: The most common cause of visual impairment globally is refractive error. The prevalence of refractive error has been on the rise since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, possibly due to increased indoor activities and excessive use of electronic devices. Impaired vision during childhood can affect the overall development of a child adversely, and it often remains unreported due to the inability of children to complain about impaired vision. Aim: The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of refractive errors among school-going children in urban and rural areas. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 2024 children going to schools situated in urban and rural areas. All study subjects were tested for visual acuity for distance using Snellen’s chart with and without glasses after taking a brief history regarding visual complaints. All children who had visual acuity less than 6/6 on Snellen’s chart underwent refraction check-ups. Retinoscopy was performed in all study subjects. Analysis of the collected data was done using SPSS for Windows, Version 16.0 (Released 2007; SPSS Inc., Chicago, United States). The analysis of numerical data was done by an unpaired t-test, and the analysis of categorical data was done by a chi-square test. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the children was 10.92 ± 2.73 years, with 10.93 ± 2.73 years in urban and 10.91 ± 2.73 years in rural groups. Females (n=1031; 50.93%) were more in number than males (n=993; 49.06%). The overall prevalence of refractive error was 17.43%. The prevalence was higher in urban areas (22.14%) than in rural areas (12.71%). The age group below 10 years comprised 886 (43.77%) study subjects, and 218 (62.1%) children with refractive error had no ocular complaints. The most common refractive error found in this study was simple myopia in both groups, and the least common was astigmatism. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error was higher in urban school-going children as compared to rural children. Conclusion: The prevalence of refractive error was 17.43% in our study. The prevalence was high in urban areas (22.67%) as compared to rural areas (13.12%). Regular screening of school-going children for refractive errors should be done. Also, awareness regarding the use of electronic gadgets must be raised, especially among urban children.

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Effective refractive error coverage and spectacle coverage among school children in Telangana, South India

Prakash,

Marmamula,

Keeffe

et al. 2024

Eye

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BackgroundRefractive error (RE) is one of the leading causes of childhood vision impairment. Increasing effective refractive error coverage (e-REC) is one of the main goals of WHO's 2030 global eye health targets. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of RE, e-REC, risk factors and spectacle coverage among school children in Telangana, South India. MethodsSchool children aged 4-15 years in the study locations underwent vision screening using 6/12 tumbling E optotype by trained community eye health workers in the schools. Those failing the initial vision screening and/or found to be having eye conditions were referred to a nearby referral centre appropriately, where they underwent detailed eye examination. ResultsA total of 774 184 children were screened in schools of which 51.49% were boys. The mean age was 9.40 ± 3.27 years. The prevalence of RE was 1.44% (95%CI:1.41-1.46) of which myopia was 1.38% (95%CI:1.35-1.41). In multivariate analysis, the risk of myopia was higher among older children (Adj.OR: 17.04; 95%CI: 14.64-19.85), those residing in urban areas (Adj.OR:3.05, 95%CI:2.60-3.57), those with disabilities (Adj.OR:2.61, 95%CI:2.00-3.39) and among girls (Adj.OR:1.30, 95%CI:1.25-1.35) (P=0.00). The overall e-REC was 56.97% and the spectacle coverage was 62.83%. ConclusionMyopia being the most common type of RE, the risk factors included increasing age, urban location, and presence of disability. The need for interventions to improve e-REC to achieve 2030 global eye health target is also eminent among children in this region. Key messagesWhat is currently know in the topic? One of the two major indicators for 2030 global eye health targets set by World Health Organization (WHO) include increasing effective refractive error coverage (e-REC) by 40%. However, currently there is no evidence reporting on e-REC among children in the literature both within and outside India.What does this study add to the literature?This study reports on both e-REC and refractive error prevalence among school children covering a larger geographical area as part of a large-scale school vision screening program. The ndings from this study would serve as a baseline data for future school eye health programs and research planning in the topic.

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Prevalence of refractive errors among school-going children in a multistate study in India

Cited by 5 publications

References 23 publications

Refractive Error among Children Visiting the Department of Paediatric Opthalmology of a Tertiary Eye Care Center

Refractive Error among Children Visiting the Department of Paediatric Opthalmology of a Tertiary Eye Care Center

Prevalence of Refractive Errors Among School-Going Children in Urban Versus Rural Areas

Effective refractive error coverage and spectacle coverage among school children in Telangana, South India

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