Research
Prevalence of Refractive Error and Low Vision Among Schoolchildren in Cairo
A preliminary survey was conducted to detect the prevalence of refractive error (RE) and low vision among 5839 schoolchildren aged 7-14 years in Cairo, Egypt.
Screening was done using Landolt broken ring chart and pinhole test.
The prevalence of RE (visual acuity < or = 6/12) among the schoolchildren was 22.1% and low vision (visual acuity < or = 6/18) was 12.5%.
The prevalence of low vision was greatest among the preparatory schoolchildren aged 12+ years.
RE was higher among the female students than males (21.4% and 13.6% respectively).
Development of a national survey for detection of visual problems for both preschool and school-aged children is recommended.