Question

Which is the commonest cause of ocular morbidity in the community?

• A. Cataract
• B. Refractive error
• C. Ocular injury
• D. Vitamin A deficiency

Hint:

Refractive error is the most common eye problem overall; cataract leads in blindness, not morbidity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks which eye condition affects the largest number of people in the general community, that is, it has the highest ocular morbidity, as opposed to which condition causes the most blindness.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Ocular morbidity means any disease or defect of the eye present in the population, whether or not it causes severe vision loss. This is a different question from asking about the leading cause of blindness.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Refractive errors, such as myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism, are extremely common across all age groups, from schoolchildren to the elderly, and most people with a refractive error can be helped simply with spectacles.
Because refractive error is so widespread and often mild, it makes up the largest share of ocular morbidity found on community eye surveys.
Cataract is very common too, and is the leading cause of blindness in India, but it is less frequent in the population overall than refractive error, and cataract is usually age related rather than affecting all age groups equally.
Ocular injury and vitamin A deficiency occur in the community but at much lower frequency than refractive error.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Refractive error is the commonest cause of ocular morbidity in the community. This is option (B).