Exploration of Myopia Trends among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: A One-year Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Myopia is a prevalent refractive condition associated with higher occupational groups and education. Contributing data from a region like Saudi Arabia adds to the global understanding of myopia progression, potentially uncovering patterns or risk factors that may differ from those observed in other parts of the world. Aim: To estimate myopia progression among junior medical students. Materials and Methods: This was a one-year longitudinal cohort study conducted on 85 students at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Demographics, detailed ocular history, use of electronic devices, and other related risk factors were collected at the start of the study. Students underwent a comprehensive eye examination including visual acuity, autorefraction, ocular biometry, and Spectral Domain-Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) of the macula and optic nerve at the start and end of the study. Progression of myopia over one year and its associations were assessed using paired-samples t-test for a single group, while ≥two-group comparison was tested with Independent t-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), respectively. Results: This cohort study involved 85 medical students (41 men and 44 women) aged between 19 and 23 years. Myopia prevalence was 76.5% (65/85) on the first visit. One participant progressed from hyperopia to myopia, five from initial emmetropia to myopia, four from mild to moderate myopia, and one from moderate to high myopia. A significant myopic shift was observed in the second visit in both eyes {Right Eye (RE): -0.3D, p-value=0.001; Left Eye (LE): -0.2 D, p-value=0.015}. The myopic shift in male participants from a mean±SD of -1.1±1.6 D (RE) and -1.0±1.5 D (LE) to -1.5±1.7 D (RE) and -1.4±1.7 D (LE) in the one year follow-up was statistically significant (RE: p-value=0.006; LE: p-value=0.004). Myopia prevalence was significantly related to the hours spent reading for learning/studying and hours spent watching TV at the first visit (p-value=0.023, p-value=0.046, respectively) and total weekly average screen time at the second visit (p-value=0.002). Conclusion: The medical students had a significant myopic shift over one year, which was associated with longer hours spent reading. The factors associated with the rapid refraction change should be identified to reduce myopic shift among medical students.

Keywords

• prevalence
• reading
• refractive errors
• screen time