Prevalence of Refractive Error and Visual Impairment Among Schoolchildren in Klang Valley, Malaysia in Post-COVID-19 Era

ASM Sc. J., 21(1), 2026

Published on February 16, 2026

https://doi.org/10.32802/asmscj.2026.0205

Author: Lili Asma Ismail, Sathiya Prakash Sooryanarayana, Prema Muthiah, Noorshazana Mat Rejab, Esther Lau Siew Sieng

Abstract

Refractive error is a critical aspect of child development, as uncorrected vision problems can impact a child's educational and social well-being. This study aims to discover the prevalence of refractive error and visual impairment as well as to investigate the distribution of refractive errors among schoolchildren attending public schools in the Klang Valley in post -COVID-19 era. The examinations conducted were visual acuity testing using the Snellen chart at 3 meters for distance, which was converted to LogMAR notation and the reading chart at 40 cm, cover test, and refraction. In this study, 945 schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 15 were examined for refractive error. Of the 945 participants, 479 were males (50.7%) and 466 were females (49.3%). The mean age and (standard deviation) of participants was 10.67 (+1.29) years. Overall, the prevalence of refractive errors was 28.5% including 2. 5% for hyperopia and 26% for myopia. The percentage of visual acuity of less than 6/6 was 18.2%. There is a need for public health initiatives to promote frequent eye check-ups and the potential long-term consequences of untreated refractive error.

Keywords: COVID-19, prevalence, refractive error, schoolchildren, visual impairment