Estudio de las Características Visuales de Niños de los Grados Tercero y Cuarto Residentes en Zona Rural y Urbana de Bucaramanga y Área Metropolitana en el Año 2022 y 2023

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the accommodative, refractive and motor characteristics of children residing in rural areas compared to the characteristics presented by children residing in the urban area of Bucaramanga and the metropolitan area in 2022 and 2023. Methodology: The work is framed in the area Research Department of the Faculty of Optometry of the Santo Tomás University, collective health with an emphasis on visual and ocular health. It is defined as a type of analytical cross-sectional observational study; The population that is studying the third grade in the official schools of the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, between the ages of 7-12 years, was included. Each student underwent a visual screening accompanied by some questions regarding their study methods, the amount of time in which they develop their academic activities and the place they are destined to carry them out. Result: 60% of the population has astigmatism as the predominant refractive defect in the two school zones. Visual acuity without correction in distance vision prevailed the normal value, however, it is evident that the urban population tends to correct visual acuity decreases. Regarding outdoor activities, in the rural area, it was found that 51% of the population has an affinity for doing sports, unlike the urban area, where 70% prefer not to do any outdoor activity and choose for playing on mobile devices. Conclusions: It is evident that the ametropia that predominates in both areas is astigmatism, the accommodative state presents a variation, being the urban population with normal data. On the other hand, it was shown that the urban area presents a prevalence in the use of video terminals both for recreational activities and for academic activities, unlike the rural area, which prefers to perform physical activities in a natural environment.