Research
A Survey of the Prevalence of Refractive Errors among Children in Lower Primary Schools in Kampala District
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of refractive errors among school children attending lower primary in Kampala district, Uganda.
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with 623 children aged 6 and 9 years in Kampala district.
Seventy-five children had a visual acuity of 6/12 or worse in at least one eye.
Seventy three children had a visual acuity of 6/12 or worse in one or both eyes, giving a refractive error prevalence of 11.6%.
The common refractive error was astigmatism (52% of all errors), followed by hypermetropia, and myopia was the least common.
Refractive errors are common among primary school children aged 6 to 9 years at a prevalence of approximately 12%.
There is a need to screen young children regularly or at least on first attending school.