Pattern of Refractive Errors in Primary School Children in Dehradun City of Uttrakhand State

Abstract

Objective: To assess the pattern of refractive errors in primary school children in Dehradun city of Uttrakhand region. Settings and Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Materials and Methods: All school going children of both genders aged 5 to 16 years attending the eye OPD of a tertiary care teaching hospital, Dehradun, under the school screening programme underwent visual acuity assessment, ocular motility evaluation and cover uncover test. Children with defective vision were further examined employing objective refraction using autorefractometer followed by streak retinoscopy after instilling 1% cyclopentolate eye drops. Children with any kind of refractive errors were evaluated and categorized according to the type of refractive error on post mydriatic examination. Statistical Analysis done by: Chi square test. Results: The prevalence of refractive error in primary school children in Dehradun was 13%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of refractive error between males and females. The prevalence increased with age. The single most common refractive error was myopia, followed by astigmatism and then hypermetropia. Conclusions: Refractive error is one of the leading causes of treatable blindness in school age children. There is a need to have regular vision testing in school children. Cost effective strategies are required to eliminate this easily treatable cause of vision impairment.

Keywords

• refractive error
• myopia
• hypermetropia
• astigmatism
• prevalence.