Research

The study aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of uncorrected refractive error among staff of a Nigerian university. It involved 1,083 participants aged 18–82 years, with 52.4% females and 47.6% males. The results showed that 8.3% had visual impairment, and 0.5% were blind. A total of 32.9% had refractive errors, with 41.9% of those being uncorrected. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error in the study population was 13.8%. Astigmatism was the most common refractive error, followed by hypermetropia and hypermetropic astigmatism. The prevalence of refractive errors increased with age, with the highest burden in the 80–99 age group. Hypermetropic astigmatism was the most common error in participants aged 40 and above, while myopia was more common in those below 40. Females had a slightly higher prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors. Nonacademic staff had a higher prevalence compared to academic staff, possibly due to differences in job nature and awareness. The study concluded that a significant portion of university staff still had uncorrected refractive errors, emphasizing the need for eye care awareness and services within the university's healthcare system to improve the quality of life and visual functioning of its members.