The Prevalence and Progression of Ametropies in Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Uncorrected refractive errors (Myopia, Hyperopia and Astigmatism) are one of the main causes of poor vision, attributing to 43% of vision deficiencies. Myopia is the most common visual disorder in the world and can progress until the age of 20-25, when many people are in universities. The etiological factors that cause myopia are still unclear and deserve to be studied. Our aim was to identify the prevalence of ametropies and self-perception of ophthalmic health in medical students at the Centro Universitário Saúde ABC/FMABC. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with data collected at Centro Universitário Saúde ABC/FMABC from medical students. A total of 232 students participated in the survey, from the 1st to the 4th year of graduation. The data of the study were obtained from the application of a questionnaire, which evaluates the presence or not of some ophthalmologic health ametropia and self-perception. Result: It was observed that 74.57% of the students had some type of ametropy, being myopia the most recurrent (59.05%). The study shows us significant data to an increase in the grade of students from 1st to 4th grade throughout college. It was observed that the average daily study time of the students was 9.68 hours and a high average time of use of electronic means. Conclusion: The study presented a high prevalence of ametropies among students, in addition to a high prevalence of multifactorial myopia and a need to update their diopters (degrees) during the course.