Prevalence and Factors Associated with Myopia Among High School Students in Hawassa City, South Ethiopia, 2019

PURPOSE: Myopia is one of the avoidable causes of visual impairment. Twenty-seven percent of the world population were myopic in 2010 and after 30 years it is expected half of the peoples in the planet will become myopic. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with myopia among high school students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional school-based study design using stratified simple random sampling technique was used to select 349 high school students from 21 high schools in Hawassa city. The study was conducted from April 24 to May 7, 2019. Structured questionnaire, six meter Snellen visual acuity chart, trial frame, trial set, retinoscope and cyclopentolate 1% eye drops were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 computer software. Variables having p-value <0.05 in multivariate logistic regression were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 349 participants having a response rate of 97% were involved with the mean age of 16.90±1.32 years. Prevalence of myopia was 16.05% (95%CI: 12.6, 20.1). Early age of schooling (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=3.14; 95%CI: 1.16, 10.06), parents being myopic (AOR=8.46; 95%CI: 7.11, 12.08), prolonged near work (AOR=11.65; 95%CI: 2.11, 64.5), short working distance (AOR=10.90; 95%CI: 0.57, 20.55), lack of outdoor sport activities (AOR=7.37; 95%CI: 2.71, 20.03) and visual display unit (VDU) usage (AOR=8.36; 95%CI: 2.39, 29.33) were variables significantly associated with myopia. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The prevalence of myopia was high in the study area. Early age of schooling, parents being myopic, prolonged near work, short working distance, lack of outdoor sport activities, and visual display unit usage were variables significantly associated with myopia. There should be strategies to prevent visual impairments secondary to myopia with affordable optical corrections and appropriate use of visual display units.