Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors among school-going children in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Methodology: The study comprised children from Iqra Public School and College. A total of 286 students of both genders ages 6 to 15 years were included in the study. Every student received a routine eye check-up, including a Snellen chart eye test, colour vision test with Ishara chart, torch examination, cover-uncover test, ocular motility evaluation, anterior segment examination with a slit lamp, and a fundus examination using a direct ophthalmoscope.
Results: Out of 286 students, 52.4% were boys and 47.6% girls. Out of these 252, 88.1% had refractive errors. Overall, prevalence of refractive error was 27%. Participants of the age group 12-15 were most affected by the visual impairment with higher prevalence of 49%. Simple myopic astigmatism was the most common refractive error found 90 (31.5%) students and least cases were of hypermetropic error (n=25; 8.7%).
Conclusion: Refractive error cases were high. If left untreated, these errors can lead to complications such as amblyopia and strabismus, as well as other eye conditions. Children's prognosis can be improved by routine eye exams and by stressing the value of wearing glasses regularly.

Key words: Visual impairments, refractive errors, screening of vision, school-children, myopia.