OCULAR HEALTH STATUS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ABAGANA-NJIKOKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

A cross sectional survey of the ocular status of primary school
children in Abagana - a rural community in Njikoka Local Government
Area of Anambra state of Nigeria, was undertaken. The available
children in all the 8 primary schools aged 6 to less than 16 years
were interviewed and examined with snellens chart, pen torch, head
loupe and direct ophthalmoscope. Findings were recorded using the
modified World Health Organization/Programme for Prevention of
Blindness (WHO/PBL) eye examination form.
More males 1081 (57.7%) than females 1011 (48.3%) constituted
the sample population giving a male/female ratio of 1.07 to 1, (p=
0.0013).
There were 20 different types of ocular disorders found in 127 out
of 2092 children examined giving a prevalence of 6.1%. The most
common ocular disorder was vernal conjunctivitis (48.1%) followed
by refractive error (11.0%). The highest number of ocular disorder
61(48.0%) occurred in the age group 10 to 13 years.
The number of school children with a visual acuity <6/18 in the
better eye was 6 (0.3%). Of these, 4 (0.2%) were due to
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preventable ocular disorders while 2 (0.1%) were neither preventable
nor curable. Of the 4 (0.2%) cases of monocular blindness, 3
(0.14%) were preventable.
The findings in this study indicate that most of the causes of visual
impairment in the school children surveyed were avoidable and
appropriate application of preventive and promotive primary eye care
would go a long way in improving the ocular health status of primary
school children in this locality.