Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of refractive errors needed to be correct in childhood.

Material and methods: Children applied and received glasses prescriptions were recruited. Age, gender, spherical, cylindrical error, and spherical equivalent (SE) were noted. The refractive errors were classified as myopic, hyperopic and cylindrical errors according to the SE and prescriptions. Cylindrical errors were subdivided into myopic, hyperopic. Children were classified into 4 groups. Group 1, 2, 3 and 4 composed of children whose ages were between 0–5, 6–10, 11–15 and 16–18 years, respectively.

Results: There were 846 children in group 1, 3931 in group 2, 5948 in group 3, 3896 in group 4, and a total of 14621 children. The rates of myopia and hyperopia were 72.4% and 27.6%. Myopic and hyperopic astigmatism were found in 29.1% and 11.3% of children. Myopia, myopic astigmatism increased with age (p < 0.05). The hyperopia rate decreased with decreasing age (p < 0.05). The frequency of myopia, myopic astigmatism was higher in both male and female children (p < 0.05). The rate of myopia was higher in females (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of cylindrical value between genders. The statistically significant difference was found in terms of mean SE among all groups and a negative correlation was present between age and mean SE. A lower negative correlation was stated between age and cylindrical value.

Conclusion: Corrected myopic and myopic astigmatism errors were higher than hyperopic refractive errors. The prevalence of myopia increased by age and was higher in females. The need for glasses was highest in children whose age range was between 11 and 15 years.