Abstract

Background: Refractive errors are prevalent among the patients presenting in optical hospitals and companies and contribute to adverse health outcomes such as blindness and visual impairment. Refractive error is a global health problem with a significant number of people affected and causing blindness. Uncorrected refractive errors are also costly to the global health sector due to their negative ou tcomes.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and pattern of refractive error in patients presenting within ten (10) practices of a private Optical company distributed throughout Trinidad and Tobago W.I.

Method: The study adopted the quantitative method. Data were collected from 1000 records that were sampled from a private optical company representing patients who visited. The eye with the better Presenting Visual Acuity (PVA) was used for categorising the patients. The statistical method was used in data analysis.

Results: The results of the study show that there is a relatively lower prevalence of refractive error among adults and elderly persons. Children are more vulnerable to refractive error complications and are highly affected compared to adults and the elderly

Keywords: Refractive error; Blindness; Visual impairment; Health problem