Prevalence of refractive errors among primary school children in Makueni District, Kenya

Abstract

Title: Objective: ABSTRACT:Prevalence of refractive errors among the primary school children of Makueni District, Kenya. To determine the magnitude and pattern of significant refractive errors in primary school children in Kilungu division of Makueni District. Methodology: A cross - sectional primary school based study of significant refractive Results: errors was conducted in Kilungu division of Makueni District on pupils aged between 12 and 15 years old. All the pupils present during the time of the study in the selected schools were included in the study . Demographic data, history of ocular complaints and use of spectacles in the family was obtained. Visual acuity was assessed from each pupil using a Snellen's E chart. Ocular examination was carried out using a torch and magnifying 20 Dioptre loupe. Significant refractive error was defined VA of worse than 6118 and therefore objective refraction under cycloplegia was carried out in all those pupils with visual acuity of worse than 6118 followed by subjective refraction. The type of refractive error after refraction was grouped into hypermetropia, myopia or astigmatism. 1522 primary school pupils were eligible to participate in the study, but 1439 pupils (94.5%) were screened for refractive errors and 83 pupils (5.5%) were absent. The response rate was high at 94.5%.

The females contributed 59.2% and the males 40.8%. There was no statistical difference between the sexes, p =0.453. The mean age of those was 13.28 years with standard deviation of 1.10 years and the median was 13.0 years. The prevalence of significant refractive error was 5.2% (75/1439), being responsible for 92.6 % of all causes of poor eyesight. Hypermetropia accounted for 3.2%, myopia 1.7% and astigmatism 0.3% of refractive errors. Myopia was more likely to be present in the pupils aged 14 to 15 years than those aged 12 to 13 years with OR 0.3 which was statistically significant (p = 0.022). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of significant refractive errors (VA worse than

6/18) in pupils aged 12 to 15 years in Makueni's Kilungu division was 5.2%. A regular school screening programme would be beneficial to the primary schools in this area. Hypermetropia was the most prevalent refractive error at 3.2% followed by myopia at 1.7% and astigmatism at 0.3%.