Visual acuity of children 6 to 10 years of age: study in two public schools of sertão da Paraíba

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the visual acuity of children from 6 to 10 years of age in two public schools in the city of Patos, Paraíba. Methods: Cross-sectional, quantitative study in schools E.M.E.F. Dom Eduardo Expedito de Oliveira and CIEP II Anésio Leão / Miguel Mota, which involved a total of 195 students. The data collection was performed with the aid of an instrument to collect information, conduct interviews with the students and visual acuity was measured using the Snellen Test. The study was carried out between January and May of 2018. Data from the collection instruments used were compiled in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS - version 21.0), and a descriptive statistical analysis was done. Results: Of the total of 195 students from the selected schools, 154 participated in the visual acuity tests performed through the Snellen Table and 28 of them presented low visual acuity and were referred to the ophthalmologist. Conclusion: The main refractive errors found were myopia, astigmatism and hypermetropia. In addition, it was observed that the prevalence of low acuity had a significant decrease according to studies published since 2003 to 2017.