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Aug 4, 2023Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Prevalence and etiology of amblyopia among primary school children in Wolliso Town: South West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia.
Abstract
Background: Amblyopia is a unilateral or bilateral condition which results in visual reduction whilst the eye seems to be healthy. The main purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and etiology of amblyopia in school children.
Methods: A school based prospective cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 1,226 school children aged between 7 and 15 years were screened. Best corrected visual acuity and detailed ophthalmic evaluation were performed in all participants. A diagnosis of amblyopia was based on a best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or less in one or both eyes, or a bilateral difference of at least two best- corrected visual acuity lines.
Results: Prevalence of amblyopia was 5.14 % (95% CI: 3.9%-6.4%) and the majority of them were from public schools (82.5%). There was statistical association between students from public school and amblyopia (p=0.003). A total of 44 (41.9%) children had severe amblyopia. Underlying amblyogenic causes were anisometropia (49.2%), isometropia (36.5%), sensory deprivation (11.1%) and strabismus (3.2%).
Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of amblyopia among school children was 5.14%. Refractive error is a major risk factor for amblyopia. We found significant statistical difference in amblyopia prevalence between public and private school children.
