Prevalence of Refractive Error among School Going Children in District Level in Bangladesh

Background: Refractive error is one of the most common causes of visual impairment around and it is quite common among school-going children. Children of age 05 years-15 years are large number portions of the country but few studies on such ground had been carried out previously. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of refractive error among school going children in district level in Bangladesh. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in schools & Madrasha within the Sadar Upozila, Faridpur district. The study involved 3057 school children aged 5–15 years, randomly selected from 12 institutions during February 2020 to December 2020. A total of 196 patients were referred to the hospital among them 150 participated in the study.46 (23.5%) students did not participate further and were classified as dropouts. Statistical analyses of the results were be obtained by using window-based Microsoft Excel and Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS-24).Results: In this study, the prevalence of the population with refractive error was 196(6.41%). Among them 150 reported to hospital for corrective measures and participated in the study the dropout rate stands at 46 (23.5%). According to the age distribution, (42%) participants were between the ages of 5 and 7,(36.66%) were between the ages of 8 and 10, and (21.33%) were between the ages of 11 and 15. In terms of gender, (58%) of the patients were male and (42%) were female. According to the parents' occupation status, (31.33%) were housewives, (40.66%) were service holders, (6%) were day laborers, (15.33%) were business owners and (6.66%) were other occupations. According to the factors, (52.66%) children played outside, (26.66%) parents wore spectacles. It was observed that 69(46%) had myopia, 51(34%) had astigmatism 24(16%) had Hyperopia and 6 (4%) had Amblyopia Conclusion: Improving awareness among parents and teachers, implementing routine eye exams in schools, and enhancing access to affordable corrective eyewear are critical steps toward reducing the prevalence of refractive errors among school-going children in Bangladesh. It is essential to integrate eye health into national health policies and ensure that all children have access to necessary eye care services to promote better visual health and educational outcomes