Purpose:Many children with poor vision due to refractive error remain undiagnosed and perform poorly in school. The situation is worse in the Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, and current information is lacking. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of refractive error among children enrolled in elementary schools in Gondar town, Ethiopia.Materials and Methods:This was a cross-sectional study of 1852 students in 8 elementary schools. Subjects were selected by multistage random sampling. The study parameters were visual acuity (VA) evaluation and ocular examination. VA was measured by staff optometrists with the Snellen E-chart while students with subnormal vision were examined using pinhole, retinoscopy evaluation and subjective refraction by ophthalmologists.Results:The study cohort was comprised of 45.8% males and 54.2% females from 8 randomly selected elementary schools with a response rate of 93%. Refractive errors in either eye were present in 174 (9.4%) children. Of these, myopia was diagnosed in 55 (31.6%) children in the right and left eyes followed by hyperopia in 46 (26.4%) and 39 (22.4%) in the right and left eyes respectively. Low myopia was the most common refractive error in 61 (49.2%) and 68 (50%) children for the right and left eyes respectively.Conclusions:Refractive error among children is a common problem in Gondar town and needs to be assessed at every health evaluation of school children for timely treatment.

BackgroundRefractive error is the main cause of visual impairment in the world. Spectacles are the most frequently used options for correcting refractive errors. In addition, they can be used for protection and fashion. It is the simplest, cheapest and only method used in developing countries like Ethiopia. This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude, practice and associated factors towards spectacles use among adult population of Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity based cross sectional study was conducted on 780 participants using a pre-tested structured questionnaire in Gondar. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20 version computer software. Association and strength between variables was determined using odds ratio with 95 % confidence interval.ResultA total of 780 study subjects participated in this study. The male to female ratio was 1:2.4. The median age of the participants was 29 (±22 IQR) with a range of 18–86 years. About fifty percent of participants were married and 284 (36.4 %) were educated up to secondary school. Seven hundred and three (90.6 %) participants had adequate knowledge about spectacles and 90.4 % had favorable attitude towards spectacle use. About 25 % of the participants have been using spectacles during the study. Participants with primary school education (AOR: 2.79, 95 % CI 1.20–6.50) had good knowledge about spectacles. Housewives (AOR = 3.40, 95 % CI; 1.35–8.54) and participants who unable to read and write (AOR: 3.51, 95 % CI 14–10.72) had favorable attitude towards spectacles use.ConclusionGondar town adult population has adequate knowledge and favorable attitude towards spectacles. However, practice of spectacles use is poor. Eye health education related to spectacles utilization need to be given due emphasis by eye care professionals in collaboration with University of Gondar and Gondar town administration.

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