Prevalence of Visual Disorders among Urban Palestinian Preschool Children

Background: Childhood blindness is a major public health concern since 40% of visual disorders that can cause among children are preventable. Vision screening programs preschool have been implemented in several countries as tool for early detection and intervention disorders. In Palestine, there lack scientific data on the prevalence children. addition, vision-screening currently neither validated nor effective. Objective: Using vision protocols, cross-sectional study conducted to determine urban Palestinian between ages 3 5 years Nablus city. Methods: All attending eight preschools selected using single-stage cluster sampling technique, underwent administered by trained eye care professionals. The protocol was based combination clinical assessment adopted from Modified Clinical Technique Preschoolers studies, including acuity, ocular alignment, depth perception, color vision, non-cycloplegic retinoscopy, health. A pass-fail criterion used refer all who did not attend comprehensive examination, cycloplegic retinoscopy dilated fundus exam. chi-squared test any association their independent risk factors. Results: total number 764 screening. Out 290 screening, 127 responded referral call examinations. Refractive error most prevalent disorder with (29.37%), followed amblyopia (4.10%), deficiency (1.24%), strabismus abnormalities (0.70%). There no age (p=0.35) gender (p=0.32) variation having refractive errors. Anisometropia leading (1.32%, n=7), significant (1.13%, n=6) (0.37%, n=2). Conclusion: affecting preschoolers Nablus. errors were found be causes amblyopia. Effective nationwide should Palestine screen amblyogenic