Prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in low-resource high schools in the Free State, South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in low-resource high schools in the Free State, South Africa | |
| Creator | Nyathela, Xolani Nirghin, Urvashni Ebrahim Khan, Naimah | |
| Description | Background: The continuous increase in the prevalence of refractive error (RE) globally, with uncorrected refractive error (URE) having been established as the leading cause of visual impairment (VI) in children, is a public health concern. Previous RE studies in South Africa also indicated a growing prevalence, substantiating the burden on schoolchildren.Aim: To determine the prevalence of URE among high school learners.Setting: No-fee-paying high schools in the Free State, South Africa.Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 13- to 19-year-old learners through a multistage stratified random method. The examination included an unaided logarith of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) visual acuity test, binocular motor alignment tests, ocular health assessment and cycloplegic autorefraction.Results: A total of 868 learners consented to participate in this study, with a mean age of 16.4 ± 1.7 years. Male participants accounted for 34.5% (n = 299), while female participants accounted for 65.6% (n = 569), with the majority being Grade 10 learners. The prevalence of URE stood at 27.1% (n = 233), with astigmatism being the most prevalent ametropia, accounting for 22.3% (192 cases), followed by myopia at 15.1% (n = 130) and hyperopia at 5.4% (n = 46).Conclusion: A high prevalence of URE, especially among older participants, was established, prompting an urgent concerted intervention from all stakeholders to curb the scourge.Contribution: This study accentuates the visual situation of vulnerable learners, that is, older children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Free State, which until this point had not been established. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2025-09-26 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v17i1.4967 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 17, No 1 (2025); 8 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4967/8643
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4967/8644
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4967/8645
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4967/8646
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