Profile of ocular morbidity among school children of dehradun

Background: Childhood is a vulnerable age of growth and development. Ocular conditions whether congenital or acquired need timely identication and intervention. Ocular Morbidity (OM) describes eye diseases that are either signicant to the individual seeking care or to the eye health professional opining on the same, and can be classied as modiable and nonmodiable. Our study helps to throw some light on existing ocular morbidity among school going children in Dehradun. Screening Objectives: of school-children for ocular morbidity and to study their distribution in different age groups. Material and Method: Thirty schools were selected randomly by lottery method. The informed consent duly signed both in Hindi and English were taken from the principal of the school, and a date for screening was xed. Examination was done in the respective school campuses where the information required from the students was obtained through interviews and a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis: Analysis was carried out by using statistical package for social science system SPSS [version 23.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA] for proportions. Chi square tests were applied where applicable. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered signicant. The Result: total children screened in the schools were 6868, out of which 4225 were referred to hospital for detailed ocular examination. Of those referred, 3524 (83.4%) presented to the hospital while 16.6% failed to visit the hospital. The study showed that among different types of ocular morbidity, refractive errors were present in 53.4% children, followed by allergic conjunctivitis in 25.2%, amblyopia in 8.9%, squint in 2.85, ptosis in 2.4%, corneal disorders in 2%, ocular trauma in 1.9%, cataract or pseudophakia in 1.8%, vitamin A deciency in 1.2% children and non-modiable disorders in 0.5%. The study gives an Conclusion: idea of ocular morbidity prevalent in the region, and creates awareness for both the who provide care, and those who need help.