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The Prevalence of Refractive Errors in Indian School Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Vijay Kumar1,2, Manya Soni1,2, Vineeth Rajagopal2

  • 1Evidence for Policy and Learning, Global Center for Evidence Synthesis, Chandigarh, India.

Ophthalmic Epidemiology
|February 25, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Refractive errors (REs) impact Indian schoolchildren, with myopia being most common. Despite COVID-19, the overall prevalence of REs remains stable, highlighting the need for ongoing vision screening and interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Refractive errors (REs) are a leading cause of vision impairment globally.
  • Prevalent forms include myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
  • REs significantly affect academic performance and quality of life in Indian school children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide updated prevalence estimates of REs in Indian school children.
  • To consolidate data from studies published after 2018.
  • To analyze trends and contributing factors of REs.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
  • Literature search conducted in May 2024 across Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase.
  • Inclusion of cross-sectional studies from India reporting RE prevalence in school-aged children.

Main Results:

  • A pooled prevalence of 11% for REs was found among 43 included studies.
  • Myopia was the most common RE (8%), followed by astigmatism (3%) and hyperopia (1%).
  • Prevalence showed a slight decline post-COVID-19 and was higher in cycloplegic studies.

Conclusions:

  • Refractive errors, especially myopia, represent a substantial public health issue for Indian schoolchildren.
  • The prevalence of REs has remained stable, even with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Continued vision screening and targeted interventions are crucial to address uncorrected refractive errors.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childhood blindnessocular disordersschool health programsvision impairmentvision screeningvisual acuity

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