title: Prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis among basic school children in the Kumasi Metropolis (Ghana): a community-based cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There seems a preponderance of hospital-based studies on the prevalence of Allergic Conjunctivitis (AC) compared to community-based ones, particularly among children in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Meanwhile, literature supports the possibility of underdiagnosing AC in the hospital setting; exponentially so when males generally have poor hospital-attending behavior. This may lead to underestimation of the true burden of AC. Consequently, the purpose of the current community-based study was to determine the prevalence of AC among basic school children in the Kumasi Metropolis, while identifying its associated symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional community-based study involving 1571 students from 11 basic schools (Primary and JHS) participated in the study. Data collection started in November 2011 and was completed in March 2014. After history taking, subjects underwent a battery of tests; visual acuity, objective refraction, anterior and posterior segments examination with a slit-lamp and a direct ophthalmoscope respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AC was 39.9 %. The mean (± SD) age of participants was 8 ± 0.65 years. AC was significantly associated with gender (p < 0.05), but not with age (p > 0.05). A total of 70 % of the students with AC never had any form of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AC is an endemic ocular disease among basic schools in the Kumasi metropolis and therefore calls for pragmatic and proactive measures to reduce its burden and effects on its victims. Public health measures may be required to help reduce the burden associated with this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. ben56kay@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David Ben
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Kumah
authors.affiliation: Department of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. sylartey@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Seth Yaw
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lartey
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. felixy42@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yemanyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. gyimahboateng@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Evans Gyimah
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Boateng
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. docawuah@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Awuah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D017678:Sex Distribution