ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the visual acuity status of pupils in the public primary schools in Edo State and the effects of age, sex, immunisation status, classroom seating position and parents’/guardian’s socio-economic status on the visual status of pupils. The population of study was pupils in public primary schools in Edo State, made up of 871,523 pupils, 475,565 or 54.5% males and 395,958 or 45.5% females. The sample size of 360 pupils made up of 50% of each sex were chosen from 1074 primary schools in the state.The data were collected using structured interview guide and a visual analog scale – the Snellen chart.
The data collected were descriptively and inferentially analyzed. The results revealed that 322(89.5%) of pupils had normal vision or normal visual acuity, of whom 158(43.8%) were male and 164 (45.5%) were female pupils. Only 38(10.5%) of pupils had impaired vision or poor vision, of whom 22(6.1%) were males and 16(4.5) were females that had impaired vision binocularly. In terms of monocular vision, 311(86.3%) of the pupils had normal vision or visual acuity, of whom 150(41.6%) were males and 161(44.7%) were females. However, 49 (13.7%) of the pupils had impaired vision or poor visual acuity of whom, 30(8.3%) were males and 19(5.3%) were females. Immunization, Classroom Seating Position and socio-economic status influences the pupils’ visual acuities.
The following recommendations were made, the testing of pupil’s visual acuity on their admission into primary schools (to provide visual baseline data as part of the child’s school health record), and the special sitting positioning of pupils with visual problems (to enhance clearer vision in the classroom). It was also recommended that those pupils in the schools with visual abnormalities be referred and followed up for specialist care.
