Blindness

Background: Visual impairment (VI) is a major public health concern that can have a significant negative impact on a child's education and quality of life due to inability to perform normal daily tasks such as reading, writing and recreation. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic characteristics linked to the visual impairment in school children in Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 201 participants in a descriptive cross-sectional survey, ranging in age from 6 to 19, were chosen at random from primary and secondary schools in each of Delta State's three senatorial districts. A thorough eye examination and a standardized questionnaire were used to assess the participants. SPSS version 28.0 was used to analyse the data, which were then displayed in frequency tables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant, and all reported p-values were two-tailed. Results: Among the participants, 118 individuals (58.7%) were female. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI) in this study was 28.9% of which 69.0%, 22.4% and 8.6% had mild, moderate, and severe VI, respectively. VI was higher in females (16.9%) than in males (11.9%), and lower in primary school age group (8%) than the secondary school age group (20.9%). Socioeconomic characteristics, including parents' income, work status, and educational attainment, as well as gender and age group, did not substantially correlate with visual impairment (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The study found that children of parents with low educational status and unemployment were more likely to be blind or visually impaired, even though there was no significant correlation found between sociodemographic characteristics and visual impairment. Initiation of regular school eye screening program by governmental and non-governmental organizations is recommended for early detection, diagnosis, and management of visual impairment among school children.