Myopia among Medical Undergraduates of a Medical College: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Myopia is defined as a refractive error in which rays of light entering the eye parallel to the optic axis are brought to focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed. Globally, myopia prevalence is on the rise for unknown reasons. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of myopia among undergraduates of a medical school. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical undergraduates of a medical school between 2 May 2022 to 3 August 2022 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee of the same institute (Reference number: 21/20). A proforma was distributed among the medical undergraduates and data from known myopic students were collected. A convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Among 279 medical undergraduates, myopia was seen in 119 (42.65%) (36.85-48.45, 95% Confidence Interval). The mean age of the myopic undergraduates was 21±1.47 years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of myopia among undergraduates was found to be lower than the other studies done in similar settings.