Risk Factors Associated with Amblyopia Amongst Primary School Pupils in Kosofe Town, Lagos, Nigeria

Paediatric Ophthamology & Strabismus

Abstract

Introduction: Amblyopia is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by a decrease in the  best corrected visual acuity  BCVA) in an eye with no organic pathology[1,2]. Amblyopia is a cause of  lifelong, avoidable visual impairment if not detected and  managed at an early age[3]. There is paucity of studies on amblyopia in Nigeria. The  effects of mother’s socio-economic status, pregnancy and birth, developmental, family and  past ocular histories on the pattern of amblyopia  in our community need to be  dequately studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the risk factors associated with amblyopia in primary school pupils in  Kosofe town in order to provide baseline data that may facilitate establishment of routine school eye screening programs in primary  schools in Lagos State.

Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional school based study. Approvals for the study were obtained from the Health Research  and Ethics Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board and the Kosofe Local  Government Education Authority. A multistage random sampling technique was employed in recruiting the children. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires by the parents or care-givers and from a detailed ocular examination. Data obtained  were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.
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