A Cross-Sectional Study about the Prevalence of Color Vision Deficiency among School Children in Benghazi

Background Color vision deficiency (CVD) is a common disorder caused by damage to retinal photoreceptors and cones. The disorder makes a person less able to perceive color variations. Aims The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of CVD among the school children in Benghazi, Libya. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Ophthalmology, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya, during the period from December 2023 to March 2024. The study included 1,022 students aged 6 to 18 years to assess the prevalence of CVD. Visual acuity assessment was performed in a place with good daylight illumination using the standard Snellen Tumbling E chart at a distance of 6 m. Color vision evaluation was performed in the schools using Ishihara color plates (24 plate–edition). The quantitative variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and the qualitative variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. The Student's t-test was used for comparing means, whereas the chi-square test was applied for comparing the frequencies. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results CVD was present in 15 cases (1.5%). There were 13 males (2.6%) and 2 females (0.38%) with a statistically significant difference regarding gender. Among the 13 males with CVD, 7 students (53.8%) had deuteranomaly, 2 students (15.4%) had deuteranopia, 1 student (7.7%) had protanomaly, and 3 students (23.1%) had color blindness. The two females with CVD both had deuteranomaly. Conclusion Early detection of CVD is vital to making informed decisions about a student's future career. With early detection, parents and teachers can adjust their educational strategies to ensure the best learning outcomes for the student.