Visual acuity in university students at the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste

Abstract

Introduction: Visual acuity or central vision is the ability of the eye to differentiate two points close to each other and separated by a certain angle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people considered visually impaired are all those who have a visual acuity value of less than 0.3 (3/10 or 6/18). Objective: To evaluate the visual acuity of a random group of university students. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study on the student population of the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. The sample was random through spontaneous consultation, where a total of 152 students were included. Visual acuity (VA) was evaluated using Snellen test charts, the optotypes were placed in the horizontal plane of the student’s vision, at a distance of six meters (optical infinity). Results: A 36% of the people evaluated had normal visual acuity, 63.8% had visual acuity impairment in one or both eyes, of which 15.7% had visual acuity of 8 to 10 tenths, 19.1% of participants had visual acuity of 7 to 4 tenths and 14.47% of students had visual acuity of 3 to 1 tenth. Finally, a group of 21 people (13.8%) was detected with visual acuity of notable difference in both eyes. Conclusion: It was evident that there is a high percentage of university students who have altered visual acuity, which is why ophthalmological check-ups are recommended in universities in order to detect and prevent prevalent pathologies in time Because of what has been developed, it is suggested to continue studying visual acuity in university students.