RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REFRACTIVE ERRORS, ACCOMMODATIVE AND NEAR VERGENCE ANOMALIES AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF OPTOMETRY, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between refractive errors and accommodative and near vergence anomalies among optometry undergraduate students at the University of Benin. Method: A total of 50 participants with a mean age of 22.62 ±2.28. Subjects underwent a series of eye exams to collect data on accommodation and vergence parameters and their refractive errors. Results: In this research, Hyperopia was found to be the most common refractive error (50%), followed by Myopia (44%), and Emmetropes made up the remaining 6%. This research showed that forty (40) participants (80%) had vergence anomalies while ten (10) were without vergence anomalies (20%). Also, thirty-seven (37) participants (74%) were found to have accommodative anomalies, while thirteen (13) participants (26%) were without accommodative anomalies. The relationship between refractive errors and vergence anomalies was statistically significant (P=0.029). However, the relationship between refractive errors and accommodative anomalies was not statistically significant (P=0.535). Also, there was no significant relationship between the presence of accommodative and near vergence anomalies in participants (P=0.747). Conclusion: In conclusion, some of the findings in this research were consistent with the findings from previous literature on the subject matter. Although some of the relationships in this research were not statistically significant, the role and importance of refractive errors in diagnosing and managing accommodative and vergence anomalies cannot be overlooked. Keywords: Refractive Errors, Accommodative Anomalies, Vergence Anomalies, Optometry Students.