Prevalence of visual deficits among young men in Jordan

OBJECTIVE: To report the pattern of various causes of decreased visual acuity (VA), within the age group of young (18-25 years) healthy adults in Jordan.

METHODS: We carried out this retrospective study on the records of 16550 candidates examined from June 2004 to June 2005 by the Medical Committee of Employment, Royal Medical Services in Amman, Jordan. All candidates received an ophthalmic examination as well as medical and ENT examination. We divided the candidates with visual acuity of less than 6/12 in either eye into 3 groups.

RESULTS: The most important cause of decreased VA in the 18-25 years age group was refractive errors followed by amblyopia, which represents the major ophthalmic cause of employment rejection in a wide range of occupations in adult life.

CONCLUSION: This study emphasize the need for early visual screening for refractive errors and anisometropic amblyopia in early primary schools, and every effort must be made to achieve the best possible acuity in young patients with amblyopia.