Myopia, visual alteration in population of Bogotá and Cundinamarca

Abstract

The objective of this descriptive investigation was to know the prevalence of myopia in two medical institutions in Bogota and in other three in Cundinamarca from March 2006 to February 2007. Materials and <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> 813 patients were examined, belonging to low social and economical status and affiliated to a social security, who attended the optometry consultation in the following Cundinamarca hospitals: Rafael Uribe Uribe, Medical Center San Camilo in Bogota, El Salvador Hospital in Ubaté, San Rafael Hospital in Girardot and Mario Gaitán Yanguas Hospital in Soacha. Information was collected in data base SPSS 15.0 through an optometric evaluation and previous standardization of the test, finding those refractions for both eyes with negative spheres and cylinders smaller or equal to their third part. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> the prevalence of myopia was 17.5% (20/114) in the group of age between 54 and 71, followed by the group of age between 18 and 35 with 16% (24/150). The prevalence in women was 10.3% (53/515) and in men was 9.1% (27/298). Conclusions: The myopia is presented mainly in mature people in economically productive age, what shows the importance of the diagnosis and the opportune treatment of this disease because its represents a medium prevalence and significant visual alterations in the population.