Accommodative Anomalies in Symptomatic School Children in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.

Abstract

Accommodative anomalies even though have been associated with an increased risk of academic failure in the pediatric population, yet have been underappreciated in African populations. This prospective cross sectional study which conformed to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declara�on of Helsinki) aimed to determine the frequencies of accommoda�ve anomalies among symptoma�c Junior High school children in the Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana. Accommoda�ve assessment (tes�ng for amplitude of accommoda�on, accommoda�ve lag, accommoda�ve facility, and nega�ve and posi�ve rela�ve accommoda�on) was conducted over best corrected refrac�on results in a mul�stage sample of 202 symptoma�c school children age ranged 12 to 17 years old. Descrip�ve data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard devia�ons. Binary logis�c regression was used to test associa�ons between outcome variables. Of the symptoma�c par�cipants (202) assessed, 38 (18.8%) were diagnosed with ametropia, with the most frequent type being as�gma�sm 19 (9.4%). A number of 104 (51.5 %) symptoma�c par�cipants were diagnosed with accommoda�ve anomaly. The frequency of specific accommoda�ve anomalies among symptoma�c Junior High school children was as follows: accommoda�ve insufficiency, 45 (22.3%); accommoda�ve infacility, 22(10.9%); accommoda�ve excess, 27(13.4%) and accommoda�ve fa�gue, 10 (5%). Par�cipants with accommoda�ve anomalies had greater odds of experiencing symptoms of visual fa�gue associated with near work (OR =0.530, p= 0.001) compared with other symptoms. The study results indicate a high prevalence of accommoda�ve anomalies on this symptoma�c school going popula�on in Ghana and this can impact nega�vely on their academic performance.