Prevalence and causes of ocular morbidity in school going children of Haldwani (Nainital)

Abstract

Background School going children form an important group in which as ocular morbidity has a huge physical, psychological and socio-economic implications. Approximately one-third of blind persons in India are affected before 20 years of age, hence early detection of ocular morbidity and their management is very important. This study aims to highlight the prevalence of ocular morbidity in school going children of government and private schools of Haldwani. Materials and Methods Government and private schools were selected by simple random sampling, sample size was calculated and a total of 1355 school children were included in the study. Data was collected with the questionnaire and detailed ophthalmic examination was done using appropriate charts and instruments. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results Prevalence of ocular morbidity was found to be 23.3%. Refractive error was the most common ocular morbidity (15.6%) followed by colour blindness (2.4%) and vitamin A deficiency (1.1%). Prevalence of overall ocular morbidity and refractive errors were found significantly associated with age of the study participants. (p value < 0.05). Conclusion A high prevalence of ocular morbidity among high-school children was observed. Refractive errors were the most common ocular disorders.