Sohil Pooja S, Mahajan Sudhanshu A, Vaidya Sumeet M, Deshmukh Rupeshkumar B, Adhya Saibal
Community Medicine, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University Medical College, Pune, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 4;17(7):e87281. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87281. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Visual health is crucial for academic and psychosocial development in school children. The increasing use of digital devices and reduced outdoor activities post-COVID-19 have contributed to rising vision problems, especially in school children. However, there is still limited data available from urban government schools in India.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 girls from 8th and 9th grades in a randomly selected government girls' school under the Urban Health Training Centre in Pune, Western Maharashtra. Vision screening was performed using Snellen charts, and socio-demographic data were collected through a validated, pretested questionnaire. Data collection included face-to-face interviews and vision problems checked by ophthalmology residents. Associations between vision problems and risk factors were assessed using chi-square tests and odds ratios; a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The prevalence of abnormal visual acuity overall was 168 (40%), with 67 (16%) mild, 92 (22%) moderate, and 9 (2%) severe. Key risk factors included frequent eye rubbing, excessive blinking, and inadequate lighting at home, all significantly associated with poor visual acuity (p<0.05). Among students with vision acuity, 53 (31.5%) were reluctant to wear spectacles. Additionally, awareness among parents, affordability, and accessibility also emerged as notable barriers to the utilization of eye health services.
A structured school-based eye health program is crucial for early detection, educating parents, and ensuring equal access to vision care, thereby reducing preventable visual acuity issues among school girls in India.
视力健康对学童的学业和心理社会发展至关重要。新冠疫情后，数字设备使用的增加和户外活动的减少导致视力问题不断上升，尤其是在学童中。然而，印度城市政府学校提供的数据仍然有限。
在马哈拉施特拉邦西部浦那市城市健康培训中心下属一所随机挑选的政府女子学校，对420名八年级和九年级女生进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究。使用斯内伦视力表进行视力筛查，并通过一份经过验证和预测试的问卷收集社会人口统计学数据。数据收集包括面对面访谈以及由眼科住院医师检查视力问题。使用卡方检验和比值比评估视力问题与风险因素之间的关联；p值<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
总体视力异常患病率为168例（40%），其中轻度67例（16%），中度92例（22%），重度9例（2%）。关键风险因素包括频繁揉眼、过度眨眼以及家中光线不足，所有这些都与视力不佳显著相关（p<0.05）。在视力有问题的学生中，53名（31.5%）不愿佩戴眼镜。此外，家长的认知、可承受性和可及性也成为利用眼部健康服务的显著障碍。
一项结构化的基于学校的眼部健康计划对于早期发现、教育家长以及确保平等获得视力保健至关重要，从而减少印度女学生中可预防的视力问题。
