Refractive Error among Children Presenting to the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Refractive error is an important component of the priority disease 'childhood blindness' within the vision 2020 initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness. Some 12.8 million in the age group 5-15 years are visually impaired from uncorrected or inadequately corrected refractive errors. Early detection and treatment of uncorrected refractive errors enable them to perform better in daily activities. This study aimed to find the prevalence of refractive error among children presenting to the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among children at a tertiary care centre from 19 June 2021 to 25 December 2021 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Registration number: 2078/79/12). Children of the age group 6 to 15 years were included whereas those with other ocular problems such as corneal opacities, cataracts, ocular trauma, and conjunctivitis or submitted incomplete data forms were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Out of 239 children, 118 (49.37%) (43.03-55.71, 95% Confidence Interval) were found to have refractive error. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of refractive error among children was higher compared to other studies conducted in similar settings.