In this study we investigate the prevalence of refractive errors and visual impairment among primary school children in the urban population of Brčko District, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A cross-sectional study included 40 randomly selected classes of children aged 7-16 years attending five different primary schools in Brčko District. The examination included visual acuity testing, ocular motility evaluation, retinoscopy and autorefraction under cycloplegia, examination of the external eye, anterior segment, media and fundus. A total of 1,005 children were enumerated, and 997 (99.2%) were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected, baseline (presenting), and best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better eye was 9.9%, 5.9% and 0.5%, respectively. The prevalence of myopia and hyperopia measured with retinoscopy was 17.3% and 3.0% eyes, and measured with autorefraction 20.4% and 3.3% eyes, respectively. Astigmatism was found in 12.9% eyes with retinoscopy and in 18.1% with autorefraction.
Keywords: Astigmatism; childhood blindness; epidemiology; myopia; refraction.