Visual Acuity and Refractive Error Profile of Indigenous Schoolchildren in Selangor
Abstract
Objective: Uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment in indigenous communities, with hyperopia reported as the most prevalent refractive error among indigenous people in Malaysia. Given the global rise in myopia, this study aimed to determine the visual acuity and current refractive status of indigenous schoolchildren in Selangor.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved purposively selected 106 indigenous schoolchildren aged from 7 to 12 years in Selangor with no history of ocular surgery, neurodevelopmental disorders, or active ocular diseases. Distance (DVA) and near visual acuity (NVA) were measured using Sonksen LogMAR charts. Refractive assessment was conducted via retinoscopy and subjective refraction. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29, with descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test used to compare inter-eye differences.
Results: Among 106 indigenous schoolchildren with a mean age of 9.00±0.137 years, 50.9% were males. Unaided DVA was 0.02 ±0.01logMAR and 0.01±0.01logMAR, and near VA was 0.01±0.01logMAR and 0.00±0.00logMAR, for the right and left eye, respectively. Best corrected VA was 0.01±0.01logMAR at distance and 0.00±0.00logMAR at near. Spherical equivalent showed a high prevalence of emmetropia (79.25%), followed by hyperopia (17.92%) and myopia (2.83%). Additionally, 7.55% had astigmatism. Statistically significant inter-eye differences were observed for spherical equivalent (p-value<0.001) but not for the cylindrical power (p-value=0.979).
Conclusion: The refractive profile of Indigenous schoolchildren in Selangor remained dominated by emmetropia and hyperopia, with a low prevalence of myopia, despite the global rise in myopia among children.
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