Visual acuity and factors influencing it in toddlers in Makassar area, Indonesia

Background The visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision. Assessing the VA and determining the factors influencing it are essential to identify vision problems in children. Aim This study aimed to examine the VA and the factors influencing decreased VA in toddlers in Makassar area, Indonesia. Patients and methods This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the playgroups and kindergartens in the Makassar area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It included 245 participants who were enrolled in the study between July 24 and August 31, 2023. The study instruments used were questionnaires and daily logs. The VA examination was done using the Kay Picture Test Linear Crowded Book. Results The mean age of the included participants was 3.83±0.71 years, with 169 (69%) participants being in the age group of 60–71 months and 131 (53.47%) participants were males. The VA range was 0.10–1.00 (decimal). The mean VAs were 0.89±0.11 for the right eyes and 0.87±0.11 for the left eyes. The average of the participants’ VA was within the normal range. Decreased VA was reported in 34 (13.87%) participants. There were significant relationships between both astigmatism and myopia and decreased VA ( P <0.05). Although there were relationships between eye distance, consumption of fruits and vegetables, parents’ education, and decreased VA, yet it was not statistically significant. Conclusion In this group of toddlers, the VAs were 0.89±0.11 for the right eyes and 0.87±0.11 for the left eyes. Most of the studied factors showed nonsignificant relationship with decreased VA except for myopia and astigmatism.