Short stature associated with ocular refractive errors in schoolchildren in Muquiyauyo, Peru.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the association between short stature and refractive errors in children from 6 to 11 years of age at the Román Amanso Montero Educational Institution in the district of Muquiyauyo. Methodology: We worked with a population of 250 children and a sample of 215 school students, being a transversal observational analytical study, where the method used for data collection was specialised observation by means of an anthropometric measurement and refraction data collection form (measurement of eyesight with an autokerato-refractometer). Result: Of the 215 children evaluated, 158 had refractive errors in children aged 6 to 11 years; of the 158 children with significant refractive errors requiring optical correction, 17 had myopia, 9 had hypermetropia, 21 had astigmatism, 21 had myopia and astigmatism32 , and 79 had hypermetropia and astigmatism. The most striking results of the bivariate analysis of short stature and myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia were that children with short stature were significantly associated with astigmatism RP =2.33 CI (1.44,3.78); that is, those with short stature have twice the risk of presenting astigmatism. Children with short stature were significantly associated with refractive errors RP 6.81 (2.57,18.1) P=<0.01. Conclusion: School children with short stature were found to have 6 times the risk of refractive errors.