PREVALENCE OF REFRACTIVE ERROR IN STUDENTS STUDYING IN PRIVATE SCHOOL IN HAYATABAD PESHAWAR

Abstract

Background: Visual impairment among students enrolled in schools for the visually impaired remains an important public health concern, particularly in developing countries where comprehensive ophthalmic assessment and rehabilitation services are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision among students attending the Government Institute for Visually Impaired Children, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 106 students using convenience sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and comprehensive visual assessment. Visual acuity was classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria into normal vision, moderate low vision, severe low vision, and blindness. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, and results were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results: Among the 106 participants, 70.8% were classified as blind, 13.2% had severe low vision, 10.4% had moderate low vision, and 5.7% had normal vision. Only 10.4% of students were using low vision devices despite 23.6% having residual vision. No improvement in visual acuity was observed with pinhole testing, indicating that visual impairment was primarily due to underlying ocular pathology rather than refractive error. More than half of the participants (52.8%) reported a family history of visual impairment. Conclusion: A considerable proportion of students enrolled in the blind school had usable residual vision or normal vision, highlighting deficiencies in admission screening and low vision assessment. Routine ophthalmic evaluation before school admission, timely provision of low vision rehabilitation services, and appropriate educational placement are essential to improve visual function, educational outcomes, and quality of life.