To investigate the prevalence of anisometropia and its associated factors and corrections in school-age children in urban Erbil city

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of anisometropia and its associated factors and corrections in school-age children in Erbil.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on school-age children aged 14 to 20 from 12 schools in Erbil, in 2023. Anisometropia was defined as the differences between the two eyes in spherical equivalent (SE) or cylinder degree of 1.00 diopter (D) or more [SE or cylindrical (CYL) difference ≥ 1.00 D] after cycloplegic autorefraction. All cases underwent optometric examinations including the measurement of uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, autorefraction, and subjective and objective refraction with and without cycloplegia. Nearsightedness and farsightedness were defined as a spherical equivalent <-0.5 and ≥ +1.00 diopter, respectively. The frequency of anisometropia and refractive correction across different ages and sexes, and correlations between ocular parameters, were analyzed. Results: Abut the precipitate in the present study, there were 24300 students all cases in these schools from them 21825 students (81%) precipitate in the present study. In the present study, percentage of females (55%) more than percentage of males (45%). Number of emmetropic eyes were 17679 students (81%), 4146 students were ametropia (19%). Anisometropia was identified in 1309 participants (6% of the studied population). The prevalence of amblyopia in the study was 2%.

Conclusion: The prevalence of anisometropia was high in this school-age child in Erbil. However, a high percentage of anisometropic cases had amblyopia and strabismus. Nearsightedness, cataract, age and educational level were associated with anisometropia. Ocular parameters and lifestyle parameters are associated with the occurrence of anisometropia in children aged 14 to 20 years. Preventing myopia and early treating anisometropic amblyopia may be effective ways to reduce the prevalence of anisometropia. Preventing myopia and controlling its progression may be the most important ways to reduce the prevalence of anisometropia