Perceptions regarding Strabismus among School Children of 11-16 Years of Age Living in District Abbottabad

Abstract

Background: Ocular misalignment (Strabismus) is one of the major reasons of refractive error in children. Growing children of school age perceive this important condition differently.

Objective: To assess perceptions of strabismus among school children of 11 to 16 years of age.

Study type settings & duration: This a qualitative study was conducted at 5 schools (03 public sector and 02 private sector) of district Abbotabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan from 1st August 2012 to 31st August 2012.

Methodology: After taking the permission from provincial education department, data collection was started from four schools in August 2012 with equal representation of boys and girls. Inclusion criteria was students aged 11 to 16 years. For data collection, semi structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. From each school half of the study participants were wearing spectacles for refractive errors of vision.

Results: There were 16 students from 5 schools with focus group discussion. A summary of the sub themes given describing the squint as seen by the school children. Majority of the participants say that in squint of the eyes the direction of gaze is different from the one where the eyes are looking, describing it in their own words. A proportion of the subjects say that squint occurs by birth and is present in childhood. Few of them say that apart from other, trauma is also one of the causes of squint. Few say that vision in squint is weak while few of them say that in squint vision is normal. Almost all of the students were of the opinion that doctor should be consulted in case one has weakness of vision.

Conclusion: The knowledge about squint, its occurrence, and vision in eyes with squint was quite good. This awareness is very important for timely detection and treatment of squint.