Ocular Health in Private Primary School Girls in Sukhumvit Area of Bangkok - สุขภาพตาของเด็กนักเรียนหญิงชั้นประถมศึกษาของโรงเรียนย่านสุขุมวิท

Abstract

             There are many reports of eye health and refractive errors in primary school children in Thailand, but mostly all are from public schools with limited information in private school. Faculty of Optometry, Rangsit university and RSU Eye Medical Center set up an eye screening program in 2 private schools along Sukhumvit road which is located in central Bangkok. The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to provide services as well as collect basic information on eye health and refractive errors of female children in private primary schools level and compare to the prevalence in public schools. All the children in primary school level were included in the study. A screening eye examination was done, including visual acuity measurement without eye glasses, with pinhole and with eye glasses, auto-refraction, external eye examination and fundus examination by direct ophthalmoscope. Children with abnormal eye examination were referred for detailed eye examination by General ophthalmologists or Paediatric ophthalmologists. A total of 1,780 children from 2 schools (86.6%) were seen, 98 percent were female. Seventy six percent of female students had good visual acuity without correction (VA 20/20-20/30). Nineteen percent (340 cases) had refractive error which was the most common eye morbidity and myopia was the most common type (15.01%) of refractive error; 54 students (3.09%) had hypermetropia and 24 (1.37%) had astigmatism. Sixty eight percent (215 students) get eye glasses and 68.8 percent (128 students) get corrected eye glasses which could see well and had been using them for 1-7 years (mean 2.38 years) but 19.53 percent used them infrequently. Forty five students (2.58%) had strabismus. Forty nine students (2.81%) had simple eye diseases which were treatable and preventable. Only 0.57% had amblyopia and were too late to be treated. In conclusion, the primary school children in private schools have same eye morbidity as public primary school children except they access more to refraction clinic and wear eye glasses in higher proportion yet showing no difference in using eye glasses. A school eye screening and eye health education program for refractive errors should be emphasized and repeated periodically for the students, teachers and parents and to prevent permanent visual impairment resulting from amblyopia which is preventable.

Key words: primary school girls, private school, refractive errors