Prevalence and Causes of Eye Diseases amongst Students in South-Western Nigeria

Background/Purpose: To assess the prevalence and identify the causes of eye diseases among students in Ilesa east local government area, in south-western Nigeria, so that prevention strategies could be mapped out. Methods: A cross-sectional survey that utilised a multi-stage random sampling method to select 1144 primary and secondary students comprising 504 males and 640 females. Their ages ranged from 4 to 24 years. Majority (97.8%) were below 18 years of age. Results: A total of 177 (15.5%) of the school children were found to have eye diseases. These included conjunctival diseases (8%) constituted mainly by allergic/vernal conjunctivitis (7.4%), refractive error (5.8%), lid disorders (0.6%), squint (0.3%), corneal scarring (0.3%) and cataract (0.2%). Conclusion: Eye diseases are common amongst school children. Health education will go a long way in the prevention of ocular diseases amongst school children. Wearing of corrective glasses should be emphasised for children with refractive error. Eye examination for all new intakes into both public and private primary and secondary schools is advocated. This will allow for early detection and prompt treatment of eye diseases in the young, which will go a long way in reducing ocular morbidity and unnecessary blindness.