Refractive Errors of Teenager Students from Sinaloa, Mexico

Abstract

Purpose : We assessed the prevalence of refractive error in a sample of children of Northwest Mexico using the Refractive Error Study in Children protocol of the World Health Organization, which allows the comparison with other global studies.

Methods : A total of 783 students (384 female and 399 male) in Sinaloa's basic school system participated in the study from 2020 to early 2021. Optometrists and student clinicians from the Optometry Program of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa conducted the testing. Tests included visual acuities and static retinoscopy. We did use a cycloplegic agent when the far visual acuity of the students was equal to or worse than 20/40.

Results : The results showed a high prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors. Myopia, defined as a refractive error ≤ -0.50 D, had a prevalence of 24.64% (95% CI: 21.45— 27.58) hyperopia, defined as a refractive error ≥ +2.00 D had a prevalence of 2.04% (95% CI: 1.14— 3.19) and astigmatism, defined as a refractive error with a cylinder ≥ 0.75 D had a prevalence of 19.79% (95% CI: 16.85—22.47). We did not find a significant effect of sex on myopia (Chi square = 0.27, p = 0.60), hyperopia (Chi square = 0.17, p = 0.18) or astigmatism (Chi square = 0.82, p = 0.36).

Conclusions : The prevalence of myopia found in children (24%) is similar with a high prevalence of myopia reported in adolescents worldwide and in Mexico's northern regions (40%). The results suggest that students attending basic school and entering high school should be required to have an optometric eye examination.

This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.