Prevalence of different refractive errors and their relation to age and sex in patients presenting in the outpatient department of ophthalmology at Dow University of Health Sciences

ABSTRACT

To see the prevalence of different refractive errors and their relation to age and sex in patients presenting in the Outpatient department of Ophthalmology at Dow University of Health Science. Cross sectional study This study was carried out at the out-patient department of Ophthalmology Dow University of Health Science [OJHA campus], Karachi Pakistan from January 2011 to June 2011. Total of 691 patients were included in the study. The testing and examination protocol included visual acuity measurement using Snellen and E chart after auto refraction, cycloplegic retinoscopy in children and examination of anterior segment and fundus in all patients. Mean age was 42.11 +/- 17.35 years. Males were 323 and females were 368 in number. The most frequent refractive error was Myopia which was found in 153 [22.1%] patients and the second frequent refractive error was Myopic Astigmatism at a frequency of 148[21.4%]; p value was 0.037. Thus Myopia and myopic astigmatism were the most frequent refractive error in age group ranging from 05-75 years. In our study we found Myopia to be the most common refractive error [n=153 22.1%] followed by Myopic Astigmatism [n=148 21.4%]. Myopia and Myopic Astigmatism were seen in males more than females while hypermetropia, hypermetropic astigmatism and mixed astigmatism were seen in more in females as compared to males