Author/Authors :
Yekta, AbbasAli Department of Optometry - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad , Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi Department of Optometry - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad , Heravian, Javad Department of Optometry - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad , Hashemi, Hassan Noor Ophthalmology Research Center - Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran , Mehravaran, Shiva Noor Ophthalmology Research Center - Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran , Abdolahi-nia, Tahereh Noor Ophthalmology Research Center - Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran , Rezvan, Farhad Noor Ophthalmology Research Center - Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran , Khabazkhoob, Mehdi Noor Ophthalmology Research Center - Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran , Heydarian, Samira Department of Optometry - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad , Azimi, Abbas Department of Optometry - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad , Chams, Hormoz Eye Research Center - Farabi Eye Hospital - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran , Derakhshan, Akbar Khatam-al-Anbia Hospital - Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad
Abstract :
Purpose: To determine the effect of carpet weaving on refractive errors
Methods: In this cross sectional study, carpet weavers and non-weavers in the normal population of
Mashhad were regarded as exposed and non-exposed groups, respectively. A carpet weaver was
a person who wove carpets 7 hours a day for at least 2 years. The non-weavers group was
selected from the population of Mashhad through stratified cluster sampling. The variables of age,
gender, education, with respect to their frequency, were matched between the two groups.
Results: In this study, 266 carpet weavers (exposed individuals) and 549 non-weavers group
(non-exposed individuals) were evaluated. The prevalence of myopia was 78.9% in carpet weavers
and 19.0% in non-weavers [Odds ratio (OR)=16.03, 95% confidence interval (CI)=11.13-23.09].
The prevalence of hyperopia was 6.02% in carpet weavers, and 56.75% in non-weaver group
(OR=0.05, P<0.001). The prevalence of astigmatism was 39.47% in carpet weavers and 21.46% in
non-weavers. The odds of against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism was 1.72 times more in carpet
weavers as compared to non-weavers (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that carpet weaving had a strong correlation with
myopia. In addition to myopia, the prevalence of astigmatism, specially ATR astigmatism, was
higher in carpet weavers.
