Refractive Errors among Saudi Medical and Pharmacy Female Students: A Questionnaire Survey Study

Background: Visual impairment due to refractive errors (RE) is one of the most common problems worldwide. Uncorrected refractive errors pose a considerable impact on student’s learning, academic achievement and by extension employability. Education and near-work are both strongly associated with increasing severity of RE.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors among medical and pharmacy female students in Qassim University, KSA.

Subjects and Methods: A cross sectional study of all medical and pharmacy female students in Qassim university, KSA aged 17-23 years from September to December 2015 was conducted. A questionnaire containing demographic characteristics, onset of refractive error and parental history of wearing glasses was filled by each student. For each eye independently, visual acuity (VA) was assessed using the Snellen Tumbling C eye chart at 6 meters distance. Pinhole test to evaluate the improvement of VA was used where its improvement was considered as a refractive error.

Results: A total of 223 female students were studied. The prevalence of refractive errors was 72.2%. Inability to see distant objects was used as a preliminary indicator of myopia which represented 61.5%. Despite RE is prevalent, only 11.7% of the studied group with RE wore spectacles during the time of the study, cosmetic reason (70.2%), as one of the cultural barriers, was the major cause behind that. Positive parental history, studying for 6 hours or more/day and student performance of excellent/very good were the significant risk factors for RE.

Conclusion: Prospective studies among medical university students involved in prolonged reading to confirm the pattern of RE and its progression during the course of study as compared to other students are advocated. Moreover, there is a need for further studies to evaluate the cultural beliefs surrounding female use of spectacles in Saudi communities.