The Evolution and the Impact of Refractive Errors on Academic Performance: A Pilot Study of Portuguese School-Aged Children

The relationship between vision and academic performance has been discussed for a long time, with special emphasis on visual factors associated with learning problems. The objective of this pilot study is to obtain an initial idea about the evolution and the impact of refractive errors on school-aged children. A visual examination was performed on 252 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years, which consisted of objective refraction, subjective refraction, and accommodative and binocular tests. No significant differences were observed regarding the refractive state when taking academic performance into account (p > 0.05). However, it was determined that academic performance was better among children with a negative spherical equivalent. Studies with a larger sample size must be conducted to verify the results that were attained in this present pilot study, and these must likewise look at possible ways in which strategies can be implemented in schools to reduce myopia progression.