Myopia in patients over 40 years of old: Prevalence and Risk factors

Abstract

Background: In the Ardabil province, NorthWest of Iran, few studies have been conducted in the field of the risk factors of myopia.The aim of the present study is to detect the prevalence and risk factors of myopia in patients over 40 years of age who was referred to the eye clinic of Imam Reza hospital in Ardabil.

Material and Methods: Overall, 436 patients were included in the study, of which 150 patients met the exclusion criteria and were excluded from the study; 139 people had myopia and were included as the target group, and 147 people with normal eye examination were included as the control group. Data analysis was done in SPSS software version 23.

Results: 139 people out of 436 people had myopia (31.9%). There was statistically significant relationship between myopia and the level of education (P=0.013), near vision requiring jobs (P=0.001), mean hours of near vision working (P=0.001), and family history of myopia (P=0.018).

Conclusion: The present study showed that one-third of the eye problems of patients over 40 years of age in Ardabil city is myopia and that myopia has a significant direct relationship with the level of education, hours of reading, jobs requiring near vision, hours of doing activities requiring near vision, and a family history of myopia.