AIM: To determine the distribution of refractive errors in a school-age population in Quintana Roo(Mexico) in the framework of an international cooperation campaign for the prevention of blindness. METHODS: A sample o...AIM: To determine the distribution of refractive errors in a school-age population in Quintana Roo(Mexico) in the framework of an international cooperation campaign for the prevention of blindness. METHODS: A sample of 2647 school-age children(ranging from 5 to 14 years old) with a mean age of 9.1±1.9 years old were tested by trained volunteers for distance visual acuity(VA) and refractive errors. The first screening examination included uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA) and VA with a +2.00 D lens. Inclusion criteria for a second complete cycloplegic eye examination performed by an optometrist were UDVA <20/25(0.10 logMAR or 0.8 decimal) and/or VA with +2.00 D ≥20/25.RESULTS: A total of 633(23.9%) children underwent the second complete eye examination. Mean logMAR UDVA was 0.035±0.094(range 1.00 to 0.00 logMAR) for the right eyes and 0.036±0.160(range 1.00 to 0.00 logMAR) for the left eyes. Bilateral amblyopia was found in 17 children(2.7% of refracted eyes;0.64% of the total). The main reason for visual impairment(VI) in the sample analyzed was found to be refractive errors. In 12 children(1.9% of refracted eyes;0.45% of the total) the VI was bilateral and 9(1.4% of refracted eyes;0.34% of the total) achieved a corrected distance visual acuity of 20/25 or better in both eyes. Mean magnitude of sphere and refractive cylinder was +0.20±0.96 D and-0.43±0.85 D in right eyes, and +0.24±1.08 and-0.43±0.83 D in left eyes. The proportion of myopic eyes [standard equivalent(SE) ≤-0.50 D] was 4.6% of the whole sample(5290 eyes). The mean magnitude of myopia was-0.84±3.44 D for the right eyes and-0.82±5.21 D for the left eyes. The proportion of hyperopic patients(SE≥+2.00 D) was 2.4%(15/633), which corresponded to 0.60% of the whole sample(32/5290 eyes). No statistically significant correlation of age to manifest sphere or cylinder was found.CONCLUSION: VI due to uncorrected refractive errors can be easily corrected with glasses but it is still a burden to be treated. Myopia is prevalent in this sample. More efforts towards correcting uncorrected refractive errors are needed.展开更多
文摘AIM: To determine the distribution of refractive errors in a school-age population in Quintana Roo(Mexico) in the framework of an international cooperation campaign for the prevention of blindness. METHODS: A sample of 2647 school-age children(ranging from 5 to 14 years old) with a mean age of 9.1±1.9 years old were tested by trained volunteers for distance visual acuity(VA) and refractive errors. The first screening examination included uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA) and VA with a +2.00 D lens. Inclusion criteria for a second complete cycloplegic eye examination performed by an optometrist were UDVA <20/25(0.10 logMAR or 0.8 decimal) and/or VA with +2.00 D ≥20/25.RESULTS: A total of 633(23.9%) children underwent the second complete eye examination. Mean logMAR UDVA was 0.035±0.094(range 1.00 to 0.00 logMAR) for the right eyes and 0.036±0.160(range 1.00 to 0.00 logMAR) for the left eyes. Bilateral amblyopia was found in 17 children(2.7% of refracted eyes;0.64% of the total). The main reason for visual impairment(VI) in the sample analyzed was found to be refractive errors. In 12 children(1.9% of refracted eyes;0.45% of the total) the VI was bilateral and 9(1.4% of refracted eyes;0.34% of the total) achieved a corrected distance visual acuity of 20/25 or better in both eyes. Mean magnitude of sphere and refractive cylinder was +0.20±0.96 D and-0.43±0.85 D in right eyes, and +0.24±1.08 and-0.43±0.83 D in left eyes. The proportion of myopic eyes [standard equivalent(SE) ≤-0.50 D] was 4.6% of the whole sample(5290 eyes). The mean magnitude of myopia was-0.84±3.44 D for the right eyes and-0.82±5.21 D for the left eyes. The proportion of hyperopic patients(SE≥+2.00 D) was 2.4%(15/633), which corresponded to 0.60% of the whole sample(32/5290 eyes). No statistically significant correlation of age to manifest sphere or cylinder was found.CONCLUSION: VI due to uncorrected refractive errors can be easily corrected with glasses but it is still a burden to be treated. Myopia is prevalent in this sample. More efforts towards correcting uncorrected refractive errors are needed.