ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of astigmatism in a sample of 1738 students (15-18 years old) from Northern Greece. METHODS: Collection of the sample was based on a questionnaire method. Statistical analysis included estimation of the prevalence of astigmatism and the distribution of students according to their cylindrical values. We also checked whether heredity or sex affected the occurrence of astigmatism. RESULTS: The prevalence of astigmatism was 10.2%. It was mostly at low levels, up to 2 D cyl. Females ran a significantly higher risk of astigmatism than males, and heredity seemed to be an important predisposing factor for this refractive error. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable variability in the prevalence of astigmatism worldwide, as indicated by different studies. However, this refractive error prevails at low levels in the Greek student population, compared with other countries.
