REFRACTIVE ERRORS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SURAT CITY

Abstract

Introduction: Refractory error in student lead to poor performance in study. The present study was conducted to assess the magnitude of refractive errors in the school going children in the Surat city of Gujarat and to study its age and sex distribution, types and its distribution.

Materials and Methods: The study was a review of school based vision screenings conducted from 2017-18. Survey of Refractive Error in school going children in the age group of 5-14 years and studying in class I to class VIII was done in one municipal corporation and one private school in Surat.

Results: 190 school students were screened. Number of students detected with refractive errors was found to be 37 (19.5%). Out of the refractive error detected Myopia accounted for 75.6%, Hypermetropia for 13.5% and Astigmatism for the remaining 10.8%.

Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive errors constitute a major public health problem in urban school aged children with myopia being the most common and early detection and timely intervention can easily eliminate these treatable causes of visual impairment.