All issues > Volume 20(6); 1977

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1977;20(6):440-445. Published online June 30, 1977.

A Study on Visual Acuity in School Children and its Relation to School Achievement.

Duk Jin Yun¹, Tai Euk Kim¹, Ki Young Lee¹

¹Institute for Children with Special Problems, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

The increasing emphasis upon the need for education in the modern world led to a number of interesting developments. For the good result of the education, adequate intellectual, physical, and environmental factors may by essential. A visually handicapped child may be hindered hisprocess in school. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence and their relation to school achievement of visual defects and the method of correction. 516 children (3rd and 4th year classes of Kaewha primary school children in Seoul city) were examined their visual acuity with the Snellen chart. All the children were tested with each 25 problems selected from their textbook and nursery tale books. The results were obtained as follow ; 1. Among 516 children, 42 (8.1%) needs the use of the glasses (visual acuity less than 0.7 in one or both eyes). Severe visual defects (visual acuity less than 0.3 in one or both eyes) were found in 20 children (3.8%). 2. There was each case of albinism, congenital cataract of right eye, and myasthenia gravis. 3. The average of the written examination of the suggests that except severe cases, the visual defects do not affect the reading or school process significantly. 4. Among 42 cases of visually handicapped children, 7 cases were wearing the glasses and only 3 of them were corrected adequately. 5. Among 42 cases of visually handicapped children, the parents of 27 children did not know the visual defect of their children, and 2 parents had the wrong conception about the glasses. 6. The routine school visual screening test is an important part of the regular physical examination in school and it must be carried out at least once a year. We can expect a favorable outcome through the early detection and treatment of eye defects, and therefore visual examination must be done as early as possible.

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