The Epidemiology of Ophthalmological Disease among School Age Children in Rural India

Abstract

Preventable blindness is one of the primary health concerns in rural India, yet little is known about the prevalence of eye disease among India's school-aged children. The clinical database of the Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology, which describes clinicians' visits to schools in Kakinada, India, was analyzed retrospectively to determine the prevalence of eye disease among 8488 students aged 18 years and younger. Among diagnosed illnesses, basic refractory impingement (including degrees of astigmatism) was the most common, followed by squinting. Vitamin A deficiency was not a factor in any of the tested subjects.