A Survey on Night Myopia in Thailand

Abstract

Assessment of visual performance is important. While designing, evaluating and developing the safety and efficiency of human body systems and its functions, the approaches need to be compatible with individual competencies and requirements. Night myopia is a temporary increase in myopia (the condition of nearsightedness) due to low level of illumination. The body of knowledge on the field is still considered inconclusive as the symptoms can normally be found in those with normal vision during the daytime. To date, night myopia has been reported to affect driving conditions and the occurrence of night-time motor vehicle accidents. The purpose of this population-based prevalence study was to investigate the incidence of nocturnal driving visibility among Thai drivers in three age groups including 20–29, 30–39, and over 40 years. The survey was carried out by means of a new questionnaire developed for this study. As a result, only 6 persons, accounting for 5.71% of the total number of respondents are at high risk of night myopia, which is frequently associated with night driving difficulties.