A Study to Analyze Refractive Errors in Relation to Age and Sex.

Background and objective Refractive defects should be detected and treated early to avoid irreversible vision loss and other potential problems in the future. In this study, we aimed to analyze the refractive errors (REs) and their relationship with gender and age. Methods This study was conducted at the Northern Border University Health Center, Arar, Saudi Arabia. REs were analyzed using spherical equivalents (SEs), cylinders, and their orientations. SEs of REs were taken as half the cylinder plus the spherical component. Emmetropia was defined as SE between -0.50 and +0.50 diopter sphere (DS), myopia as SE ≤0.50 DS, and hyperopia as SE ≥0.50 DS for adults and SE ≥1.0 for children (up to 10 years). Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software package (IBM, Armonk, NY). Qualitative data were presented as frequency and percentage while quantitative data were presented as mean and standard deviation (SD). Chi-square was used as a significant test and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 240 patients were included in the study. There were 138 men and 102 females aged 3-60 years (57.5 and 42.5%, respectively). The mean age of males was 24.4 years and that of females was 25.5 years. The p-value was statistically significant in terms of analysis with age. The study found an association between age and RE magnitude and variability. Conclusion Based on our findings, RE is a common problem that affects individuals of all ages. Regular screenings are advised for individuals in order to detect REs early.