Refractive errors among students of a postprimary institution in a rural community in south-eastern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and types of refractive errors seen among students of Girls' Secondary School, Akegbe Ugwu in Nkanu West Local Government area of Enugu State, Nigeria.

METHODS

A questionnaire documented the students' personal data, their chief complaints and past ocular history. This was followed by unaided visual acuity assessment then assessment with pinhole, anterior segment examination, fundoscopy, non-cycloplegic objective and subjective refraction in those found to have an unaided visual acuity of less than 6/9 in either eye and improved vision with pinhole.

RESULTS

A total of 355 students aged 12 -21 years was tested. Out of these, 9 (2.53%) had uncorrected vision worse than 6/9 in either or both eyes. Uncorrected refractive error accounted for the reduced vision in 7 cases 5 of which were myopia.

CONCLUSION

There is a prevalence of refractive error of 1.97 % among students of this rural girls' secondary school in South-Eastern Nigeria. The low prevalence of myopia (1.4%) found agrees with the report that, though the most common refractive cause of visual impairment globally, it is relatively rarer in Africans.