The prevalence and causes of decreased visual acuity among medical students of Al Neelain University Sudan, 2021

Background: visual acuity is defined as the sharpness or clarity of vision, which is the measure of the ability of the eye to see and distinguish fine details. Reduced visual acuity, due to a reduced ability of the lens in the eye to focus light on the retina, result in images that appear blurry. Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and causes of decreased visual acuity among medical students in al Neelain University,2021. Methodology: Analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and causes of decreased VA in the regional university population. Registered medical students in Al-Neelain University during the time of research, all ages between 18 and above 27 was included in this study and all nationalities both sexes. Results: The study examined 200 students from all academic levels, who were aged between 18 and above 27 years. The prevalence of decreased visual acuity was 42.4% And the principal causes of decreased visual acuity in this study was found to be myopia (refractive error) (36.6%) students have myopia. Other causes were found to be retinal problem (6.4%), nystagmus ((4.9%), cataract (2.4%), diabetes (1.4%) and glaucoma (1.4%). Conclusion: the prevalence of decreased visual acuity among medical students of al Neelain University is hight (42.4%), with myopia being the main cause. Recommendations: The Results highlight the need for more vision screening at a large scale on medical school populations reflect the real situation on the ground, because vision is so important especially for medical students.