A correlation between body mass index and refractive errors

Abstract

Background. Body mass index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms (or pounds) divided by the square of height in meters (or feet). Obesity affects a wide spectrum of age groups, from the young to the elderly, and there are several eye diseases related to obesity like diabetic retinopathy, floppy eyelid syndrome, retinal vein occlusion, stroke-related vision loss, age-related macular degeneration, and possibly, refractive errors. Refractive errors (RE) are optical imperfections related to the focusing ability of the eye and are the main cause of visual impairment which may result in missed education and employment opportunities, lower productivity and impaired quality of life. Aim. The study aimed to find an association between body mass index (BMI) and refractive errors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was designed to involve a representative sample of medical students in Al-Kindy College of medicine, from December 8, 2021 to January 10, 2022. Weight and height were measured. BMI was estimated, and their refractive error was assessed. Results. A total of 400 students participated in the study, of which 191 (47.8%) had refractive errors, whereas 209 (52.2%) were emmetropic. Thirty-seven point eight percent of the participants had BMI > 25. A significant relationship between refractive errors and all BMI groups was found (p < 0.025). Compared to normal weight group, overweight and obese groups, only the underweight group showed a significant relationship with refractive errors, p < 0.006. Conclusion. Myopia is associated with being underweight, hence the link between the two is statistically significant. The severity of this condition, however, is unaffected by body mass index. Myopia was not a concern among students with normal or high body mass index (BMI).

Awareness and Knowledge About RefractiveSurgery Among Medical Students in Baghdad

“…According to Rattan et al study where 400 participants were included during the period of E-Learning, 94.8% of students had refractive errors in AL-Kindy College of Medicine in Iraq. 1 In a cross-sectional study that was conducted among a sample size of 374 medical students at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, the prevalence of myopia was 66.7% which is still higher than the current study (40%). It should be noted that the mentioned study was done during COVID pandemic and it was assumed that the frequency of myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia was 66.7%, 35.6%, and 31.1% respectively.¹⁴ Another study conducted on medical students from Al-Jouf region of Saudi Arabia demonstrated that 83.1% were suffering from refractive errors, 74.13% of them were myopic, and 53.73% of them had astigmatism.…”

“…A study in India including 227 students, found myopia in 89.42% and hyperopia in 10.13%.¹⁶ Myopia was consistently found to be the most common refractive error among medical students in other studies as well. 1 ⁷ ˊ1⁸ However, the current study showed lower frequency of myopia as compared to previous studies among medical students. This can be explained by the study parameters as we included myopia and myopic astigmatism as separate groups and there were 18% of the students who did not know the type of refractive error they had.…”

“…Millions of people find refractive surgery an attractive option for its long lasting effects and the freedom from wearing eyeglasses. 1 from Family and friends, … from Soical media, 17% from eye doctor, 16% from School or University, … Among the 350 participants, myopia had the highest prevalence with 40% of students being myopic. The prevalence of other refractive errors were as follows: 12% were astigmatic,15% were myopic and astigmatic, 10% were hyperopic, 5% were hyperopic and astigmatic.…”

“…It should be noted that the mentioned study was done during COVID pandemic and it was assumed that the frequency of myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia was 66.7%, 35.6%, and 31.1% respectively.¹⁴ Another study conducted on medical students from Al-Jouf region of Saudi Arabia demonstrated that 83.1% were suffering from refractive errors, 74.13% of them were myopic, and 53.73% of them had astigmatism. 1…”