Myopia and its associated risk factors in young adults

Abstract

Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with myopia among young adults. Methodology: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted by Physiology and Medicine by non-probability purposive sampling. For this research, medical students of IMC TMK, already suffering from myopia enrolled after informed and written consent and all these students provided with self-structured proforma to determine the associated risk factors. This study was conducted on total 119 medical students (n=119), and divided in two groups according to presence of myopia, i.e., sixty-three (n=63) with myopia and fifty-six with no myopia (n=56) for comparison of associated risk factors. Students suffering from astigmatism, hypermetropia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and refractive dysfunction other than myopia were excluded for this research study. Ethical approval was taken from the institutional ethics committee. All the data entered and analyzed by IBM SPSS version 20.0. Article Citation: Suthar RK, Bai K, Jiskani SA, Zaki M. Myopia and Its Associated Risk Factors in Young Adults. JIMC. 2020; 3(1): 39-46 Results: Among total one hundred and nineteen study participants (n=119), 63 (52.9%) were the diagnosed cases of myopia and were using the glasses for myopia. To determine the association with risk factors fifty-six (47.1%) students with no myopia were selected for comparison to those with myopia (n=63). Out of sixty-three myopic participants, 37.0% were in the age group of 21-23 years. While 32.8% study participants who were in age group Volume 3, Issue 1, January to June-2020 Journal of Indus Medical College 40 of 18-20 years, were not sufferers of myopia. Among sixty three cases of myopia (n=63), 43(36.1%) were females while 20 (16.8%) were males; while out of 56 non-myopic individuals (n=56), 38 were males and 18 were females. (p-value <0.01). Among sixty-three myopia patients, 57(47.9%) were reading >3 hours and out of 56 non myopic participants, 30 (25.2%) were reading/ writing for <3 hours. Reading or writing in hours compared between having myopia and having not myopia (p-value <0.01). Likewise, duration of watching television from near distance also compared between two groups, myopia (n=63) and no myopia (n=56) by Chi-square test. P-value was revealed (<0.01). Similarly, smart phone use time in hours compared between having myopia and having not myopia (p-value <0.01). Among sixty-three myopia patients, 56(47.1%) were using android/smart phone for >2 hours and out of 56 non myopic participants, 36 (30.3%) were using smart phone for <2 hours. When myopia related to family history there was close to significant association with positive family history. Conclusion: This has been concluded that age, gender, reading/writing with near distance , android smart phone use for longer duration, watching television from short distance and longer duration as well as positive family history are the risk factors significantly associated with myopia.