Influence of Ocular Exercises on Eyestrain and Refractive Error among School Children

Objectives: Refractive errors, which include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, can lead to visual impairment if left uncorrected, ultimately affecting academic performance and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the influence of ocular exercises on eyestrain and refractive error among school children. Methods: The study consisted of 170 school children with refractive error from Government schools around Aundi Patti Taluk. Permission was obtained for conducting this study from Block Medical Officer and Principals of the Government schools. The study proposal was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Government Theni Medical College. Voluntariness and confidentiality were ensured. The inclusion criteria were children of 8 to 15 years, with eyestrain and refractive error of <3.00 diopters. Any congenital eye defect children were excluded. The children were divided in to 85 for control and 85 for experimental groups by random numbers. The sample size was estimated by power analysis using computer software and found to be adequate for 90 % power and 5 % confidence level. The study was carried out from February 2022 to April 2023. Results: The data on the eyestrain questionnaire reveal that symptoms such as stinging, itching, redness, headache and blurred vision were moderate to severe in the pre-test for both groups. Post-test results showed significant improvement in the experimental group, with symptoms reduced to none or slight compared to the control group (p<0.001), indicating the effectiveness of eye exercises. The refractive index data showed significant improvements in the experimental group's median dioptres for both right and left eyes in post-tests (-1.0) compared to pre-tests (-1.5), while the control group showed no significant change. Between-group comparisons were significant in post-tests (p<0.001) but not in pre-tests. These findings confirm that the intervention is effective in alleviating eye symptoms and improving vision. Conclusion: The study provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of ocular exercises in reducing eyestrain