Prevalence of Refractive Errors in Pre-School and School Children of Debark and Kola Diba Towns, North-Western Ethiopia
AUTHOR:
Kassa, T. and Alene, G.D.
SPONSOR/INSTITUTION:
YEAR PUBLISHED:
2003
PUBLICATION:
Ethiopian Journal of Health Development
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of visual impairment due to refractive errors in pre-school and school children in Ethiopia.
This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted with 1134 pre-school and school children aged 5 to 15 years.
The prevalence rate of low visual impairment due to refractive errors was 7.6%.
The most common refractive error identified was myopia 98% and is a major visual problem in school children.
The influencing factors found were age of child associated with the presence of refractive errors (P<.003), while sex did not have such associations (P>.6).
There is need for vision testing programs in schools and provision of low-cost lenses to those with refractive errors and who cannot afford to buy the glasses.