title: Visual impairment attributable to uncorrected refractive error and other causes in the Ghanaian youth: The University of Cape Coast Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of visual impairment attributable to refractive error and other causes in a youthful Ghanaian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective survey of all consecutive visits by first-year tertiary students to the Optometry clinic between August, 2013 and April, 2014. Of the 4378 first-year students aged 16-39 years enumerated, 3437 (78.5%) underwent the eye examination. The examination protocol included presenting visual acuity (PVA), ocular motility, and slit-lamp examination of the external eye, anterior segment and media, and non-dilated fundus examination. Pinhole acuity and fundus examination were performed when the PVA≤6/12 in one or both eyes to determine the principal cause of the vision loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of participants was 21.86 years (95% CI: 21.72-21.99). The prevalence of bilateral visual impairment (BVI; PVA in the better eye ≤6/12) and unilateral visual impairment UVI; PVA in the worse eye ≤6/12) were 3.08% (95% CI: 2.56-3.72) and 0.79% (95% CI: 0.54-1.14), respectively. Among 106 participants with BVI, refractive error (96.2%) and corneal opacity (3.8%) were the causes. Of the 27 participants with UVI, refractive error (44.4%), maculopathy (18.5%) and retinal disease (14.8%) were the major causes. There was unequal distribution of BVI in the different age groups, with those above 20 years having a lesser burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eye screening and provision of affordable spectacle correction to the youth could be timely to eliminate visual impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana. Electronic address: samyomah22@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abokyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ilechie
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nsiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Darko-Takyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Emmanuel Kwasi
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Abu
authors.affiliation: Our Lady of Grace Hospital, Breman Asikuma, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Yaw Jnr
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Osei-Akoto
authors.affiliation: Our Lady of Grace Hospital, Breman Asikuma, Central Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Mathurin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Youfegan-Baanam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000453:epidemiology; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Deficiencia visual; Error refractivo; Exploración ocular; Eye screening; Gafas; Juventud; Refractive error; Spectacles; Visual impairment; Youth