Magnitude and causes of visual impairment amongst school children in the Bono Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: Information on the visual health of school children can assist in developing strategies to reduce preventable causes of visual impairment (VI) and maintain good vision.Aim: This study aimed to determine the magnitude and causes of VI amongst basic school children aged 6–16 years in the Bono Region of Ghana.Setting: The study site included five basic schools in 12 administrative districts of the Bono Region of Ghana.Methods: A multistage random sampling technique was used to enrol 645 participants from five selected public schools.Results: Overall, 1.4% of the sample had some form of VI that was worse than mild or no VI, and ocular conditions were present amongst 45.1% of the participants. Uncorrected refractive error (URE) was found amongst 9.8% of the study participants (n = 63) and was an important cause of VI. Other ocular conditions detected in the sample included allergic conjunctivitis (n = 174), cataract (n = 2) and keratoconus (n = 2). Overall, 632 (98.0%) participants recorded a visual acuity (VA) of 20/20 – 20/60, 11 (1.7%) participants had a VA of 20/60 – 20/200, 1 (0.15%) participant had a VA of 20/200 – 10/200 and 1 (0.15%) participant had a VA of 10/200.Conclusion: The presence of ocular conditions was high amongst the study participants (45.1%). However, the prevalence of VI was found to be low (1.4%) with URE being the most common cause. This study supports the need to intensify awareness of ocular conditions and/or VI in basic schools through regular vision health screening and education.

Prevalence and determinants of refractive errors at Sekororo District Hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…19,20 The prevalence of refractive errors for the right and left eyes of the present study in two samples is smaller than that of other previous studies in Africa, where the prevalence ranges from 96.2% to 97.5% 21,22 and larger than that of other previous studies in Africa with the prevalence range of 12.9% -97.5%. 23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34 The difference in the prevalence of refractive errors for present and previous studies could be the result of a larger or smaller population, as well as the research design.…”