Prevalence of Refractive Errors in the Indonesian Paediatric Population at a Tertiary Eye Centre

Abstract

Introduction: Visual impairment occurs when the visual system and vision functions are affected due to an eye condition. Visual impairment among the paediatric population is a significant public health issue due to the long-term impact on life-years. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Island Hospital in Penang, Malaysia, a medical tourism facility, enrolling Indonesian school-aged children aged 5–12 years. The study included interviews, uncorrected distance visual acuity measurements using the Snellen chart, cycloplegic refraction with a streak retinoscope refined subjectively, and detailed slit-lamp examinations of the anterior and posterior segments. Results: In this study, 229 children aged 5 to 12 years who attended the Ophthalmology Clinic at Island Hospital in Penang were assessed for refractive errors. The average age of the participants was 8.82 years (standard deviation: 2.37), with a gender distribution of 118 males (51.5%) and 111 females (48.5%). The overall prevalence of refractive errors was 70.7%, comprising 15.7% hyperopia, 55% myopia, and 29.3% emmetropia. Mann-Whitney tests indicated significant differences in SE values across ethnicities and age groups for both eyes, with a p-value of <0.05, while no significant differences were found between genders. Age showed a weak negative correlation with SE in the right eye (r = -0.172, p = 0.009) and left eye (r = -0.183, p = 0.005). Conclusion: Refractive errors are highly prevalent among Indonesian paediatric patients, with myopia being the most common at 55%. Early detection and interventions are crucial, particularly for high-risk groups such as Indonesian Chinese children.