Volume : 5, Issue : 5, May - 2016

Prevalence of ocular morbidity in school going children of rural area in Northern India

Dr Inderjit Kaur, Dr Karamjit Singh, Dr Prempal Kaur, Dr Sat Pal, Dr Dharamvir Chalia

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp;Introduction: - Rural children are less aware about decreased vision. School screening programs are best way to detect the magnitude and pattern of problem. Methods:- Present study of 2500 students, of age group 5-13years randomly selected from 17 rural schools of district Amritsar during the academic session 2014-15, and were examined for ocular morbidity. Results:- The prevalence of ocular morbidity was observed in 11.8%. Commonly observed morbidity was refractive errors in (6.8%) with Myopia (4.52%) being the most common refractive error. Squint and conjunctival xerosis were observed to be 0.96% each, followed by allergic conjunctivitis (0.8%). Conclusion: - Importance of regular school eye screenings should be duly recognised to protect the children having poor access to medical services.</p>