Frequency of the factors leading to amblyopia in children

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Refractive errors and subsequent development of amblyopia are a major preventable cause of impaired vision in the pediatric population. It is important to note and understand the relative risk of these factors to enable the right plans for screening as well as intervention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the distribution of amblyopia in children based on their referral pattern, refractive problems, strabismus, and visual deprivation.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Ophthalmology Department, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, from January 2023–July 2024 after obtaining approval from the Ethical Committee. With the help of the WHO sample size calculator, the sample size obtained was 287 with a 95% confidence level and a 2.5% level of margin of error. Children of either gender with unilateral amblyopia, and their age ranged from 5 to 15 years, were included in the study. Performa were used to gather data, and the variables were analyzed using SPSS version 22.

Results: A total of 287 children were evaluated, revealing a slight male predilection, with 51.9% of the affected individuals being male. Refractive errors were identified as the leading causes of amblyopia, with hypermetropia accounting for 36.9% of cases and myopia for 29.6%. Other contributing factors included astigmatism 12.5%, strabismus 11.5%, and visual deprivation 9.4%.

Conclusion: The study shows that refractive errors played a very crucial part in children developing amblyopia. This implies therefore that the above factors need to be detected and addressed early to prevent the adverse effects on the vision. These findings suggest that screening for amblyopia must be performed regularly within the pediatric populations to achieve optimum outcomes for amblyopia intervention.

Keywords: amblyopia, pediatric population, refractive errors, hypermetropia, myopia, strabismus, visual deprivation.