Maria Manzoor, Hanif Malik, Hina Sharif.
Assessment of Patterns of Refractive Errors: A Hospital Based Study.
Al-Shifa J Ophthalmol Jan ;12(4):195-201.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to find the occurrence of different types of refractive errors and to determine association of the outcome with independent variables (age, gender, residence etc.). Subjects and Methods: It was cross-sectional study in Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Rawalpindi and a sample of 1500 children aged 1 to 15 years was collected by convenience sampling. Structured questionnaire was used form to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze results. Chi square was used (p<0.05 as significant) with odds ratio where necessary. Results; Results showed the Percentage of Astigmatism as (41.4%), hyperopia (36.5%) and myopia (22.1%). Types of refractive errors were found to be statistically different for different age and residence of respondents (p<0.001). Conclusion: Astigmatism was the most common refractive error found in children aged 1 to 15 years. There is need of regular screening for refractive errors for school going children especially of rural areas. Community health workers or primary healthcare centers can be utilized for this purpose.

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