ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of myopia in the adult populations of two different ethnic communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. METHODS: Refraction with retinoscopy after cycloplegia was performed for 507 Naporuna (an ethnic group indigenous to the jungles of the Ecuadorian Amazon) and for 776 settlers (white-mestizos from the Andes, now living in the Amazon and working for the petroleum industry). Ages ranged from 18 to 45 years. All subjects had little or no formal education. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was 4.7% among the Naporuna and 5.5% among the settlers; the prevalence of hyperopia was higher, at 17.8% and 36.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of myopia in the two communities studied agrees with the results of other studies showing a low prevalence of myopia among groups with low levels of formal education or groups living a nonurban lifestyle.