[Prevalence of refractive errors in Norway].
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of refractive errors among young and middle-aged adults in Norway.


METHODS
Refractive errors were measured with an autorefractor in a population-based sample of young (20-25 years) and middle-aged (40-45 years) adults participating in a health study (HUNT) conducted in Nord-Trøndelag county in Norway in 1996-97.


RESULTS
A total of 3137 persons (1248 young and 1889 middle-aged adults) with corrected visual acuity >0.5 (in either eye) were included. About half of the population (51.8% among the young and 52.3% among the middle-aged adults) were emmetropic. The prevalence of myopia was 35.0% in the young adult group and 30.3% in the middle-aged group. Myopia was significantly higher in women aged 20-25 years (36.4%) than in men aged 40-45 years (28.1%). Prevalence of hyperopia increased with age from 13.2% (20-25 years) to 17.4% (40-45 years).


CONCLUSIONS
The results show a relative high prevalence of myopia in the general population of Norway.
Midelfart
Anna
A
Avdeling for øyesykdommer, Institutt for nevromedisin, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, 7489 Trondheim. anna.midelfart@medisin.ntnu.no
Kinge
Bettina
B
Midelfart
Sven
S
Lydersen
Stian
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology*