Prevalence and Amblyopiogenic Risk Factors of Uncorrected Refractive Errors Among School-Going Children in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Amblyopia is a major cause of one-sided vision problems in kids all over the world. Although early refractive correction can largely prevent it, Uncorrected refractive error remains a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, and remains a significant problem in developing countries. Bangladesh does not possess comprehensive, population-based data on childhood amblyopia, notwithstanding considerable progress in Vision 2020 initiatives. This study evaluates the prevalence and patterns of amblyopia, as well as its amblyopiogenic risk factors, in school-aged children in Bangladesh, contextualizing baseline data from 2014 with regionally reported prevalence trends from published literature (2014–2024), rather than longitudinal follow-up.Methods: A cross-sectional screening was conducted in schools with 3,268 children aged 4 to 10 years in the Dhaka and Narayanganj districts. We used age-appropriate Snellen and Lea symbols charts to test Visual Acuity (VA). We did cycloplegic refraction, cover tests, ophthalmoscopy, and pinhole tests. Amblyopia was diagnosed because the person's vision was insufficient ( 0.05). Comparative literature (2014–2024) reveals a declining prevalence in similar Asian cohorts: India 1.5 – 1.8 %, Malaysia 1.3 %, and China 0.9 %, indicating improved school screening coverage. Among identified amblyopic children, approximately 80% were enrolled in occlusion therapy, with 62% demonstrating visual acuity improvement of two or more lines at 6-month follow-up.Conclusions: The findings underscore uncorrected refractive error as a major preventable factor leading to amblyopia in children in Bangladesh. To reach the Vision 2030 goals, it is important to include regular school vision tests and low-cost optical correction in national eye health plans.