A study on prevalence of refractive error and its associated factors among school children in Krishnagiri District, Tamilnadu- 2015.

Refractive Error is an avoidable cause of visual impairment. Children do not complain of defective vision. This warrants early detection and treatment of these problems to prevent future blindness. Objectives: The study was conducted with the primary objective of estimating the prevalence of refractive error in school children and its associated factors among them. The secondary objective was to assess the extent to which children with refractive error are wearing corrective spectacles. Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in randomly selected four schools of Krishnagiri district in Tamilnadu. A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect the details of associated factors. The students were screened for refractive errors. Snellen’s chart placed at 6 meters was used to test distant vision. Details of near work and outdoor activities were collected from their parents. Data was analysed using SPSS. Results: Among the 422 students screened, 86 (20.4%) had refractive error. Only 18.6% (N=16) of those with refractive error were already diagnosed and using corrective spectacles for refractive error. The prevalence of refractive error showed significant association in univariate analysis with age, education and occupation of parents, socio economic status, parental history of refractive error, duration of watching television and BMI. Conclusion: Refractive errors among school children can be easily identified by regular eye screening programmes, promptly treated can be protected from future complications. Periodic screening of school children is very essential to improve the quality of eye-sight.