PROBLEM OF MYOPIA PREVALENCE AMONG THE POPULATION OF AZERBAIJAN – CONTEMPORARY TRENDS

This article presents the results of a retrospective analysis assessing the prevalence of myopia among the population of Azerbaijan. Purpose – to examine the prevalence of myopia in Azerbaijan over the past decade (2014 - 2023). Material and methods - Myopia data for 2014–2023 were obtained from the electronic database of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Statistical Form F12). Population statistics were obtained from the e-resource www. azstat.gov.az. A descriptive analysis of the distribution of myopia among the population was conducted using medical statistics per 100,000 people. Age- and gender-specific incidence rates were calculated for four population groups (ages 0–13 years, 14–17 years, 18–29 years, and 30 years and older), and the percentage change in annual incidence rates was estimated. Results - Average prevalence rate of myopia over the past 10 years among the general population of Azerbaijan was 527.3 ± 28.7 per 100,000 people, with a peak incidence recorded in 2022–2023 (p < 0.05). This increase is explained by an increase in the incidence rate in 2022–2023. The annual growth rate of newly diagnosed myopia in 2022 compared to the previous year was 40.7%, despite negative growth rates in 2015 and 2020–2021. No significant gender differences were observed across all observation years; the male-to-female ratio was 1:1. A statistically significant increase in prevalence was observed in the “14–17 years” and “30 years and older” age groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the annual growth rate for these age groups was equally high in 2022 and 3–5 times higher than that recorded in 2021. Conclusion - Burden of myopia in Azerbaijan is increasing year after year, reaching its peak in 2023, and necessitating the earliest possible detection and monitoring of myopia cases. Key words: myopia, prevalence, incidence, Azerbaijan