A Study of the Prevalence of Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD) in Medical Students and its Effect on their Professional Training
European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine,
2022, Volume 9, Issue 6, Pages 1469-1474
Abstract
Background: The reported prevalence of colour vision deficiency in the world is 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women. The perception of colour is an integral part of clinical diagnosis, laboratory investigations and follows up of patients in the medical profession. We aimed to find the prevalence of colour vision deficiency (CVD) among medical students and identify the problems faced by them in their training. A cross sectional observational study conducted over 6 month’s duration in a medical college.Materials and Methods: 600 medical students aged 18-25 years were in included in this study. After obtaining informed consent, and a complete ocular examination, colour vision testing was done on Ishihara’s chart and students were asked to fill a questionnaire related to the problems faced by them during various stages of their training.Statistical analysis was done on JASP software. Categorical data was analyzed using Chi square test and a p < 0.50 was considered significant.
Results: Of the 600 students examined, 17 (2.8%) were found to have CVD, 14 males (5.3%) and 3 females (0.9%). 8 students reported minor difficulties in assessing some clinical signs, the rest were able to manage quite well.
Conclusion: The presence of colour vision deficiency, although rare, could pose a challenge to medical students in identifying important signs and lead to possible errors in diagnosis. There is a need for screening and specialised training modalities to help them overcome this difficulty.
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