Behavior disorders in children with significant refractive errors

PURPOSE To evaluate the frequency of behavioral disorders in children with significant refractive error and to compare the results with those of emmetropic children. METHODS In this prospective, comparative study from January to September 2013, refractive errors of all 5-12-year-old children who referred to a general eye clinic were recorded. A validated Persian version of the Rutter A scale was filled out by the parents for the evaluation of the child's behavioral disorders. The Rutter A scale scores of children with significant refractive error were compared with those of emmetropic eyes. Student t test, Chi square test, and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis. Differences with a P value less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS One hundred eighty-three patients, including 101 patients with significant refractive error and 82 emmetropic subjects, were studied. Overall, 44 patients (24%) had behavioral disorders, according to the Rutter A scale scores. Thirty patients (29.7%) with significant refractive error and 14 emmetropic subjects (16.9%) had behavioral disorders (P = 0.043). The prevalence of behavioral disorders were 37.5% in hyperopia, 35.7% in hyperopia-astigmatism, 21.4% in simple astigmatism, 16.7% in myopia-astigmatism, and 14.3% in myopia. Compared with emmetropic subjects, the prevalence of behavioral disorders was statistically significantly higher only in patients with hyperopia and hyperopia-astigmatism (P = 0.019 and P = 0.040). CONCLUSION The prevalence of behavioral disorders is higher in children with hyperopia and hyperopia-astigmatism.