Prevalence of Myopia and its Risk Factors in Rural Schoolchildren

Abstract

Introduction: Myopia, also known as short sightedness, is a type of refractive error in which parallel rays coming from infinity are focused in front of the retina when accommodation is at rest. It is a condition in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. It is an ophthalmic condition affecting 30% population. It is commonly seen in schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years. This study was undertaken to find the prevalence of myopia among students aged 5 to 16 years of a school in a rural area of Wardha, Maharashtra, India.Materials and methods: Study sample included children between 5 and 16 years of age from a nearby rural school. We recorded degree of myopia by autorefractometer, and students with refractive error of