Uncorrected refractive errors (UREs) remain a leading cause of visual impairment globally particularly among school aged children, where they can severely hinder learning capacity and academic achievement. This study assessed the prevalence of URE s and their impact on academic performance among secondary school students in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted, enrolling a total of 193 students from selected public secondary school through a multistage sampling method. The sample comprised 43.00% males and 56.99% females, aged between 10 and 24years, with a mean age of 16.19±3.68years. Visual acuity was measured using a standard Snellen chart, and refractive errors were further confirmed using a handheld autorefractor. Academic performance was evaluated based on the students terminal examination scores obtained from school records. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and clinical data, while the chi-square test was applied to determine the association between visual acuity status and academic performance, with significance set at p<0.05. The findings revealed a URE prevalence of 28.49% indicating that nearly one in three students had some form of correctable vision impairment. Among students with subnormal visual acuity (VA<6/9), 54.55% scored below50% in their academic performance, in contrast to 30.43% of students with normal vision, a difference that was statistically significant (χ²=10.43,p<0.05). Although not statistically significant, female students with UREs performed marginally better than their male counterparts, and older students (20–24years) tended to have higher academic scores compared to younger ones (10–14years), suggesting potential influence of maturity and adaptive learning strategies (p=0.27 and p=0.30, respectively). The study highlights a meaningful relationship between visual health and educational outcomes. The high prevalence of UREs and their demonstrable impact on learning emphasize the urgent need for routine vision screening programs within schools, along with the provision of affordable corrective interventions. Addressing vision problems early could contribute significantly to improving academic performance, reducing school drop-out rates, and promoting educational equity in Uyo Local Government and similar settings.
Oboh et al. (Fri,) studied this question.