Rev Bras Oftalmol.2025;84:e0009
University extension of an academic ophthalmology league to combat visual disorders in schoolchildren in Bahia: a social project
DOI: 10.37039/1982.8551.2025.0009
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To identify, care for and report on the experience of combating visual disorders of schoolchildren in the countryside of Bahia.
Methods:
Experience report on visual triage, using the Snellen table, conducted in public schools with students from the 2nd to the 4th grade of elementary school in the city of Feira de Santana (Bahia). Referral criteria for ophthalmological consultation were Detection of visual acuity equal to or less than 20/30 in one eye; presence of complaints or external visual signs; use of prescription glasses. This study was approved under CAAE: 56993722.5.0000.0053.
Results:
A total of 367 children were included in the study, with 29.7% of them presenting low visual acuity. From the triage, 161 children were referred for ophthalmological care, of which 80 attended the appointments. Among the 80 evaluated students, 5 amblyopic, 8 strabismic, 11 myopic, 35 astigmatic, and 19 hyperopic children were diagnosed. As a result, 42 children received donated glasses. The developed project allowed students to gain practical field experience, enhancing skills.
Conclusion:
Ocular triages aiming at detecting visual problems and promoting ocular health in children contribute to early identification of visual disorders and their resolution.
