Refractive errors in school children in Nizamabad district area

ABSTRACT

Background: Refractive errors are one of the known cause of visual impairment and a main cause of blindness worldwide. In children, refractive errors make us learning disabilities and also prevent academic progression. Aim: To study the prevalence of refractive errors in children of school going age. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive study in which children were screened for refractive errors. Children aged 4 to 15 years whose parents were willing to sign the informed consent form. This study was done from 2011 to 2015. Results: Total 531121 children were screened in which 13206 having refractive errors, incidence of 2.4% in the present local area. The most common age group affected is 8-11 years of these were boys 2706 (20.4%) and 3491 (26.4%) girls. Conclusion: The major cause of visual impairment worldwide is refractive errors and have immediate and long term consequences in children.