Abstract

Dalia E. Desouky, Nighat M. Tariq-Khan

Refractive error is the most common cause of vision impairment among children, and schools with long period of engagement in vision screening were effective in detecting undiagnosed cases. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of refractive error among female primary school children. A crosssectional study was carried out from February to March 2013 using structured questionnaire and visual examination. Visual acuity of 324 students was assessed using the Snellen’s chart. Those with VA 6/12 or less with or without correction in one or both eyes were examined by pinhole test, and an improvement of the VA with pinhole was considered refractive error. The prevalence of RE was 16.4%, and a significant relationship was found between having RE in one side and having a family history of wearing glasses, higher class grades, poor school performance, watching television at a distance less than 3 meters, using internet/ TV daily for more than 3 hours, and indulgence in computer or video games in the other side. The study showed that even in economically advantaged societies, refractive errors can go undetected in children. That is why integration of vision screening for refractive errors into KSA school health programmes is necessary.