Original Research Article
Year: 2020 | Month: September | Volume: 7 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 11-16
Prevalence of Persistent Refractive Amblyopia amongst School-Children in North India: A Population-Based Observational Study of Childhood Visual Deficit and Its Correlation with Heterophoria & NPC
Kamal Pant1, Salal Khan2, Rajat Bansal3
1Associate Professor & HOD; 2,3Optometry Scholar, Department of Optometry, UP University of Medical Sciences, Saifai.
Corresponding Author: Kamal Pant
ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim and purpose of this population-based cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of persistent refractive Amblyopia and its correlation with Heterophoria as well as NPC (Near point of convergence) in school-children in Etawah, UP.
Material & Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the govt. schools during July to December, 2019. Total 2966 subjects were enrolled by exhaustive-stratified sampling procedure to represent the underlying population. All were subjected to eye examination (Monocular LogMAR visual acuity, objective & subjective refraction, cover test, PBCT & NPC) and the responses/ data were recorded & evaluated with the Pearson Chi-square test in IBM SPSS version 21, to know the prevalence and the major cause of Amblyopia their correlation with Heterophoria & NPC in those subjects.
Results: Out of 2966 subjects (Males=1594 & Females=1372), 36 subject, (1.21%) were having amblyopia. The common symptoms including headache, watery eyes, itching, and redness of eyes were observed. Commonly experienced symptoms (statistically significant with the Pearson Chi-square test in IBM SPSS version 21) amongst amblyopes (in order of prevalence) were Headache (100%, p<0.05), Watery eyes (83.3%, p<0.05), Itching (41.6%, p<0.05), Redness (5.5%, p<0.05). Statistically highly significant (p<0.05) correlation was found between amblyopia & Heterophoria as well as NPC with the BCVA.
Conclusion: Amblyopia prevalence persisting beyond traditional treatment ages was significantly higher amongst school-children. Early detection of the cases of amblyopia by the eye screening at the time of admission in the school with the help of optometrists may prevent the bad consequences.
Keywords: Persistent amblyopia, Amblyogenic factors, Visual impairment, Occlusion, Vision screening.
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