The prevalence of astigmatism in Taiwan schoolchildren.

Purpose: To understand the prevalence and distribution of astigmatism in schoolchildren in Taiwan, we analyzed and compared the nationwide survey data in 1995 and 2000.

Methods: A total of 11,175 students were enrolled in 1995, and 10,878 students were enrolled in 2000. The refractive status of each student was measured with an autorefractor during cycloplegia and rechecked with retinoscopy.