Prevalence of Myopia among Patients Attending Federal Teaching Hospital, Birnin Kebbi

Background: Myopia is one of the most common refractive errors worldwide and a major cause of visual impairment. Early identification and management are essential in preventing visual disability and improving quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of myopia among patients attending the Federal Teaching Hospital, Birnin Kebbi. Methods: A hospital-based retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among patients diagnosed with refractive errors from January to December 2023. Data were obtained from patient clinical records and analyzed descriptively with SPSS 22. Variables analyzed included sex, age, and degree of myopia categorized as low, moderate, and high myopia. Results: Out of the 1,153 patients that presented with refractive errors during the study period, 262 patients were diagnosed with myopia, giving a prevalence of 22.7%. Among the myopic patients, 110 (42.0%) were males while 152 (58.0%) were females, indicating a higher prevalence among females. Age distribution revealed 14 (5.3%) patients were below 12 years, 71 (27.1%) were aged 12-21 years, 55 (21.0%) were within 22-31 years, and 122 (46.6%) were above 31 years of age. Based on severity, 71 (27.1%) patients had low myopia, 38 (14.5%) had moderate myopia, and 153 (58.4%) had high myopia. High myopia was therefore the most predominant subtype among the study population. Conclusion: Myopia constitutes a significant proportion of refractive errors among our patients particularly among females and adults above 31 years of age. High myopia was the most common. Early detection, routine eye screening, and appropriate corrective interventions are recommended. to reduce the burden of visual impairment.